Heart of the Cards
by AndrewK9000
Summary: When two enemies thought defeated team up, Will must rely on her friends, her allies, and her cousin Jaden to get the Heart of Candracar back.
1. Chapter 1: My Cousin Jaden

Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my sixth story to date, believe it! Once again we enter the world of W.I.T.C.H. This story is a follow up to 'Of Ninjas and Pirates,' so if you haven't read that story yet, don't read any further until you do.

Okay then, assuming you've read 'Of Ninjas and Pirates,' by now, we can move on. Time wise, this story takes place about two months after the events described in 'Of Ninjas and Pirates,' which should make it sometime towards the end of August in Heatherfield. Now I don't own W.I.T.C.H., YuGiOh GX, Naruto or One Piece. This story also contains elements of the hit anime/manga Berserk, which I also don't own. What I do own is the cards I made up for this story. And so, without any need for an argument to start things off, on with the show!

Heart of the Cards 

**By AndrewK9000**

Chapter 1: My Cousin Jaden

With just over a week left in summer vacation, Will and her friends were doing their best to enjoy their freedom before returning to that 'boot camp,' The Sheffield Institute. Today found Will and Matt, along with Taranee and Nigel, plus Cornelia and Caleb in the town park. "So who are we meeting that's so special to you?" asked Matt. "My cousin from out of town," said Will, "He's been at a private school across the ocean."

"I didn't know you had a cousin," said Taranee. "We're not related by blood," said Will, "His aunt married my uncle when I was six and he was seven. We were next-door neighbors back in Fadden Hills. My cousin and I were very close, like brother and sister." "What happened?" asked Caleb. "My mom and I moved here," said Will, "And my cousin got accepted into a private school last fall. I haven't seen my cousin since, but we've kept in touch over the Internet."

"Just how close were you with your cousin?" asked a concerned sounding Matt. "Close enough to have our own secret code phrases," said Will. Just then she saw a teenage boy of about a year older than Will, he was standing next to a grove of trees. He had shoulder length unkempt hair, brown eyes, and whore a red jacket. On a brown cord around his neck was a medallion of some sort with strange symbols and a red stone in the middle

Will waked up to the boy and said, "The sun is shinning," in a tone like this was something ordinary. The boy responded, "But the ice is slippery." Without any further hesitation, the two embraced. "I assume that's Will's cousin," said Cornelia, "So you can stop feeling jealous." "Me jealous?" asked Matt, "The thought never crossed my mind."

"Everyone," said Will, who was smiling like crazy, "This is my cousin, Jaden Yuki. Jaden, this is Cornelia and Taranee, two of the best friends I've ever had, or ever will." "Hi," said Jaden as she shook Cornelia's and Taranee's hands. "This is Caleb, Cornelia's boyfriend," said Will as she introduced the boys to her cousin, "Nigel, Taranee's boyfriend, and Matt, he's all mine."

"So you're the one Will's e-mailed to me about so much," said Jaden, "From the way she talks about you, it looks like I'll have a cousin-in-law before too long." "Really," said Matt, saying it rather than asking it. "I forgot to mention," whispered Will to Taranee and Cornelia, "Jaden doesn't really know how to keep his mouth shut sometimes."

"So," said Taranee in an attempt to make conversation, "Where do you go to school?" "Duel Academy," said Jaden, "A school for learning how to play Duel Monsters, but I really haven't learn anything new since starting there." "You're a Duelist?" as Cornelia, her interest peaked. "You bet," said Jaden, "And I aim to be the next King of Games."

"You'll have to aim high if you're gonna beat Yugi Moto," said Cornelia, "I here he's the best." "I know," said Jaden, "But I already defeated a Duelist who used the same deck Yugi used at Battle City." "What are you talking about?" asked Caleb. "Duel Monsters," said Cornelia, "It's a trading card game." "And how do you know so much a trading card game?" asked Nigel.

At this Cornelia blushed somewhat, as if she hadden't realized what she was saying until then. "Well," she said reluctantly, "I don't play the game; I just like to collect the cards, for the artwork and the collecting value. I must have over 4,500 cards in my closet, including copies of the more common cards." "And this is the first of this we've ever heard of this?" asked Taranee. "Oh shut up!" exclaimed Cornelia, "I'm sure you've got a guilty pleasure of your own in your closet."

"She sure does," said Nigel with a grin on his face. "I thought we weren't going to talk about that in public," said Taranee through gritted teeth. "Talk about what?" asked Matt. "Nothing!" exclaimed Taranee hastily, "Hey now, let's change the subject. Jaden, why don't you tell us about what you've been doing at Duel Academy?"

And so Jaden told Will and her friends about his time at Duel Academy; the three houses of the school (Slypher Red, Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow); his friends and rivals; his many duels; culminating with how Jaden saved the world from a mad Duelist who had three extremely powerful cards.

"Okay," said Caleb, "I get the part where the game Duel Monsters is based on a 5,000 year old game played in ancient Egypt, a game involving magic and real monsters, that I can believe. What I find hard to believe is that you've had help from a small furry animal that you and only a handful of people in the world can see."

"Oh he's real alright," said Jaden. Just then a transparent image of a small furry animal appeared over Jaden's shoulder. The creature was nearly all shaggy hair, with huge round eyes and a small pair of white wings on its back. "What is that thing!" exclaimed Cornelia. "You can see him too?" asked an amazed Jaden. "I'm looking right at it!" exclaimed Cornelia.

"I can see it as well," said Will. "Me too," said Taranee, "It's so cute!" "I can see something," said Matt, "But I can't make it out." "It looks like a large fuzzy thing," said Nigel. "Same here," said Caleb. "Well believe me," said Jaden, "Winged Kuribo is real" "It has a name?" asked Cornelia. "Of course," said Jaden, "All spirit monsters have a name."

"This is unbelievable," said Taranee, "The characters in a card game are real." "It's easier to believe that than what Will told me about her and her friends having magic powers," said Jaden, "Not to mention saving the world on a regular basis." "You told him!" exclaimed Cornelia, "You told him about us and our powers!"

"I have no secrets with Jaden," said Will, "I trust him with my life. I should; he saved it once." "Who-did-the-what-now?" asked Matt. "Well," said Jaden in a somewhat embarrassed tone, "I guess you can say I did save Will's life once." "Don't sound so modest," said Will, "If you didn't do what you did, I wouldn't be alive."

Just then Will noticed that Matt was scratching at the back of his neck. "What's wrong with your neck?" asked Will. "I don't know," said Matt, "I think it's a mosquito bite or something. Anyway, I'd like to know what Jaden did to save your life."

"Oh yes" said a cold female voice, "I'm sure we'd all like to know why my successor is still alive." "That voice," said Cornelia, who was sounding shocked and horrified, "I know that voice." "We all do," said an equally shocked Will, "But it's not possible, she's dead."

"Dear Will," said the voice, which turned out to be coming from (at first look) a young looking woman with long black hair, she was dressed in long flowing purple robes; "Reports of my demise are highly exaggerated." "Nerissa!" exclaimed Will.

"Yes," said Nerissa, "I'm back. And this time, the crystal is mine." "Friend of yours?" asked Jaden. "Bite your tongue," said Will, "Jaden, meet Nerissa; my evil, insane predecessor as Keeper of The Heart of Candracar." "A fact I shall shortly rectify," said Nerissa, "Now Will, do be a dear and give me the crystal." Will already had The Heart of Candracar in her hand, with no intention of handing it over to Nerissa. "We've been over this before Nerissa," said Will, "You're not getting the crystal; not today, not tomorrow, not ever!"

"Now would be a good time for you to get out of here," said Matt to Jaden, "This could get ugly." "Are you kidding?" asked Jaden, "I wouldn't miss seeing my cousin in action for anything!"

"I hate to spoil your fun, mother," said Caleb with much distaste on the word 'mother,' "But you're outnumbered six to one, seven if you count Jaden." "She's your mom?" asked an understandably confused Jaden. "It's a long, long story," said Cornelia.

"My dear estranged son," said Nerissa, "You may have been a great leader of the rebellion against Phobos, but you were never that good with numbers. It's more like six against two, isn't that right Pai-Mey!" Will and the others turned around to see whom Nerissa was talking to. They saw another young looking woman; this one was dressed in red and black robes, with shoulder length brown hair and completely black eyes. Her left arm was colored red.

"Pai-Mey Matoya!" said Will, saying it rather than asking. "You sent me to hell Will Vandom!" exclaimed the former Empress of the Naz'riak demons, "I'm here to repay the favor!"

The end of chapter 1. Next time, we learn of Nerissa's plan, and how she teamed up with Pai-Mey. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2: A Dish Best Served Cold

Last time Will introduced to her friends her cousin Jaden Yuki. Apparently Will told Jaden about everything she and her fellow Guardians have done, while Jaden has told Will everything he has done while at Duel Academy. Also, Cornelia knows quite a bit about Duel Monsters. Just as Jaden was getting to know everyone, Nerissa reappeared from the dead, along with another enemy of the Guardians; Pai-Mey Matoya. On with the show!

Chapter 2: A Dish Best Served Cold

"You sent me to hell Will Vandom!" exclaimed the former Empress of the Naz'riak demons, "I'm here to repay the favor!" "Could someone please tell me what's going on here?" asked Jaden. "It's a long story," said Will, "So here's the short version: 40 years ago Nerissa was Keeper of the Heart of Candracar. She, along with her fellow Guardians; Kadma, Cassidy, Halinor and Yan Lin were responsible for maintaining peace and harmony in the many universes.

"One day Nerissa went insane, she started using the crystal for personal gain more and more. The Oracle and the rest of the Council of Candracar ordered Nerissa to hand over the crystal to Cassidy. Nerissa didn't like this, so she murdered Cassidy and took The Heart. Yan Lin, Kadma and Halinor managed to stop Nerissa and lock her up, but she escaped."

"She spent several years in hiding on planet Metamore," continued Caleb, "Where she met and seduced my father." "I loved your fater!" exclaimed Nerissa. "You don't know the meaning of the word!" exclaimed Caleb, "As far as I'm concerned I have no mother!" "Could we get a move on here," said Pai-Mey in a bored tone, "I haven't got all day."

"As I was saying," said Caleb, "Nerissa manipulated all of us in her schemes for universal domination. First she supposedly aided us to bring down Phobos. Then she drafted several of Phobos's minions for her own army. That didn't work out. So she created new minions."

"And in the process," said Matt, "She brainwashed me into hurting the ones I care about." "It's a shame really," said Nerissa, "You had such potential." "Moving on," said Cornelia, "She brainwashed her former friends into joining her. Finally we managed to free all those who were brainwashed, and killed her in the process."

"It's true," said Nerissa, "You Guardians killed me, yet here I am." "What about the other one," said Jaden, "The one with the red arm?" "That," said Will, "Is Pai-Mey Matoya, also known as The Empress to her minions. She was once a ninja, and she was, and still is addicted to killing. She was sentenced to life imprisonment for studying forbidden ninja arts. She ran of course."

"And for 100 years," interrupted Pai-Mey, "I did the glorious work of The God Hand. I was to be rewarded with ultimate power: Power to create, power to destroy Power to give life, and power to take it away." "Fortunately we stopped her from sacrificing the children of Metamore," said Taranee, "And we also cut off her arm in the process."

"No that was Naruto's part," said Cornelia. "Speaking of lost arms," said Matt as he scratched the back of his neck, "How did you get that new arm? And how did the two of you get here?" "I can explain that," said Pai-Mey, "When you interrupted the ritual, your friend, that bastard Shinobi Naruto, cut my arm off. Then that stretchy freak of a pirate smashed my red Behelit. The God Hand was not pleased, so they summoned a vortex to their world, a world that is as close to Hell as can be.

"They were most displeased with my failure. However, a century of loyal service doesn't come without its rewards. My life was spared; I was even given a new arm." She held up her red arm for everyone to see, "It's made of the same material as a red Behelit. It isn't fully ready yet, but when it is, I shall take my revenge on 'The Village Hidden in the Leaves,' and after that, all Shinobi shall suffer my wrath!"

While Nerissa and Pai-Mey were telling their stories, Jaden was having a silent conversation with his spirit guide, Winged Kuribo. "I know Winged Kuribo," said Jaden to his transparent friend, "They give me the creeps as well." All this time Taranee has sent a telepathic message to Irma and Hay Lin to 'get over here pronto!' then she mentally told Will that the others were on their way. 'We just need to keep them talking for another 10 minutes,' said Taranee to Will and Cornelia through her mind.

"You still haven't told us how you two oddballs met," said Will. "Indeed we haven't," said Nerissa, "When you Guardians killed me, I was sent to the hellish dimension where The God Hand resides. Each day in that nightmare world was a struggle as I fought and ran from hordes of demons trying to tear me apart. Then one day I came across my new friend here. It occurred to us that we had several things in common; a lust for power, a ruthlessness for anyone who gets in our way, and an intense hatred of you Guardians."

"We struck a bargain," said Pai-Mey, "I'd help her get what she wanted, and she'd help me get what I want." "And since you already know what it is I want," said Nerissa, "Do us all a favor Will and give me the crystal before someone you care about get hurt." "That's not gonna happen!" exclaimed Matt as she scratched his neck again.

"I see your neck itches," said Pai-Mey in a mockingly sweet voice, "Could it perhaps be a rash? Or reaction to pollen?" "It's a mosquito bite," said Matt, "What's it to you?" "That's where you're wrong boy," said Pai-Mey, her voice burning with glee, "That mosquito bite isn't a bite at all. It was me shooting you with a small dart, a dart filled with a concentrated dose of extremely lethal poison!"

"What!" exclaimed Will. "Oh yes," said Pai-Mey as she grinned widely, "I always was skilled in assassination. That itch you're feeling is only the beginning; the poison has been slowly working its way to your lungs since you were injected with it. Any second now you are going to start having trouble breathing. Soon after that your lungs will be completely paralyzed; your body shall cease to function from lack of oxygen. Death is certain, that is, unless I give you the antidote, an antidote that must be injected directly into your heart within the next, oh, say five minutes."

"You god-damned psycho bitch!" exclaimed Nigel, "I ought to pummel the antidote out of you!" "By all means, pummel away," said Pai-Mey, "I couldn't stop you even if I tried. But you risk destroying the syringe carrying the antidote in the process." By now Matt was indeed breathing hard. Seeing this, Will glared at Nerissa and said, "What do you want?"

"A trade," said Nerissa, "Give me The Heart of Candracar, and I promise you my associate shall deliver the antidote." "Don't do it!" gasped Matt, "Don't give her the crystal! I'm not worth it!" "I beg to differ," said Pai-Mey, "I believe you are worth ten Hearts of Candracar to her. So what's it going to be Will? Remember, you have less than five minutes, Tick-tock! Tick-tock!" "There has to be another way," said Taranee, "there's got to be more than one antidote." "There is," said Pai-Mey, "But I doubt you have time to research it and find it."

"No," gasped Matt, "Don't do it! You know what'll happen if she gets the crystal." Will kept shifting her gaze from the crystal to Matt and back. "Don't do it Will!" exclaimed Cornelia. "How do you know you'll give me the antidote if I give you the crystal?" asked Will. "You have my word as a former Guardian," said Nerissa, "Once I have The Heart of Candracar in my hands, you shall have the antidote."

"How do we know you'll keep your word, _mother_?" asked Caleb. "My word is my bond Caleb," said Nerissa, "I may be a murderer, a manipulator and a thief, but I always keep my word." Will knew she had only seconds to make up her mind, Matt's breathing was growing shallower with every passing second. Walking over to her nemesis, Will handed The Heart of Candracar to Nerissa.

"Thank you!" said Nerissa, she sounding as if this was the happiest moment in her life, "I've waited so long to have the crystal back again. You can give her the antidote now, Pai-Mey." "No," said Pai-Mey, her arms folded across her chest, "I think not." "Oh crap," gasped Matt, "I'm dead!" "I knew she couldn't be trusted!" exclaimed Nigel.

"I'm sorry Pai-Mey," said Nerissa, "But I don't believe I heard you correctly." "You heard what I said," said Pai-Mey, "I'm not handing over the antidote. I want to see Will suffer as she watches the life drain from her love's eyes." "You can watch her suffer later," said Nerissa, "Now give Will the antidote." "No I wont!" exclaimed Pai-Mey.

"You shall give her the antidote!" exclaimed Nerissa, "Because if you don't and he dies, then that would have broken my word. It would make me a liar, I may be many things, but one thing I am not is a liar. Now give Will the antidote!" "Make me!" exclaimed Pai-Mey. "Very well then!" exclaimed Nerissa as she shot an energy bolt at Pai-Mey.

"Okay! Fine! I'll do it!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she pulled out a syringe full of a green fluid, "Choke on it!" She tossed the antidote into the air. Will ran and dived to catch the syringe. She landed on the ground, scratching and bruising her arms and legs, but the syringe was still in one piece. By now Matt was barely breathing. Knelling beside him, Will ripped off Matt's shirt, raised the syringe into the air, jabbed the needle directly into Matt's heart, and pressed down on the plunger, injecting the antidote into him.

The effect was almost instantaneous; Matt's breathing grew deeper and fuller. Matt tried to speak, but was stopped by Will, "Don't say anything my love," said Will as she plastered Matt's face with kisses, "You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay." "Um, I hate to ruin the moment," said Jaden, "But they're gone."

True enough, Nerissa and Pai-Mey were gone, either by Folding or by teleportation. "Enjoy The Heart of Candracar while you can Nerissa," said Will out loud, "Because I'm gonna get it back. I don't know how, but I'm gonna get it back."

The end of chapter 2. Next chapter, as Irma and Hay Lin arrive on the scene, a familiar figure appears, and advised Will on the situation. See you next time!


	3. Chapter 3: Return of The Stranger

Last time Nerissa and Pai-Mey Matoya returned to settle accounts with Will and her friends. After explaining how he and Nerissa met, Pai-Mey informed Will that Matt was poisoned ant had about five minutes to live. Pai-Mey said she'd give Will the antidote, but only after giving The Heart of Candracar to Nerissa. Will gave the crystal to Nerissa, but Pai-Mey wouldn't give Will the antidote. Nerissa had to force her comrade to give up the antidote, which Will then used to save Matt. With Matt out of danger, Will saw that her enemies had left. On with the show!

Chapter 3: Return of The Stranger

"Enjoy The Heart of Candracar while you can Nerissa," said Will out loud, "Because I'm gonna get it back. I don't know how, but I'm gonna get it back." "How?" asked Cornelia, "How are we going to get the crystal back? Our powers are barely at half strength without it. And now Nerissa's powers have doubled."

"You would have done exactly as Will did if you were in her position," said Taranee, "If you had the crystal and Caleb were poisoned, and the same goes with me and Nigel." "I'm not blaming Will or anyone," said Cornelia, "I'm just saying that the situation looks really bad." "You can say that again," said Caleb, "With those two working together, we're really up the creek without a paddle."

"Caleb's right," said Taranee, "We've never been in a situation where two of our enemies teamed up." "So what do we do?" asked Nigel. "First," said Will, "We wait for Irma and Hay Lin. Then we'll think of something." Will then noticed a mixed look of anger and disappointment on Jaden's face. "You all right cousin?" asked Will. "I should have done something," said Jaden, "I could have helped."

"There was nothing you could have done to make things turn out differently," said Will, but was interrupted by Jaden, "I could have done something instead stand there like an idiot!" He held out the medallion that was around his neck. "This is the Osiris Pendant, with it I could have brought my cards to life and fight Nerissa and Pai-Mey Matoya, but I just stood there!"

"You're blaming yourself for something that was totally out of your control," said Will, "Nerissa and Pai-Mey are two of the strongest forms of evil out there, even if you did bring your cards to life, I doubt it would have made any difference." "I should have at least tried," said Jaden, "I'm the one who defeated five of the seven Shadow Riders back at school. I managed to defeat the Three Sacred Beast cards."

"From what you told me," said Will, "You had help." "I did," said Jaden, "And today I wanted to help you. But I did nothing! I just stood there!" It was then that Will did something drastic, it was the right thing, but still drastic; she slapped Jaden across the face. "What's wrong with you!" exclaimed Will, "The Jaden I know would never drown himself in self pity! He'd get back on his feet and keep moving forward!"

Just then the spirit of Winged Kuribo appeared and patted Jaden's shoulder in a reassuring way. "You're right little guy," said Jaden to Winged Kuribo, "And you're right too Will. I shouldn't let it get to me. I need to get up and face the music!"

Just then Irma and Hay Lin came running towards Will and the others. Irma was with Martin Tubbs: super genius and long time stalker of Irma. Hay Lin was with Eric Landon (Note that Hay Lin and Eric was a couple, but they broke up when she told him the truth. They are still friends though).

"What happened?" asked Irma as she, Martin, Hay Lin and Eric skidded to a halt. "Here's the short version," said Cornelia, "Nerissa and Pai-Mey Matoya are alive and have teamed up. Pai-Mey poisoned Matt, and Nerissa forced Will to give her the Heart of Candracar. Any questions? Oh, this is Will's cousin Jaden." There was a short round of greetings as Irma, Martin, Hay Lin and Eric said 'hello' to Jaden.

Just as Jaden was finishing saying 'hello', there was a bright blue flash all around Will. The next thing she knew, she and the others, including Jaden, were in the Temple of Candracar. The Oracle and his ever-present aide Tibor were standing at the edge of the room Will and the others had arrived in. "Welcome Guardians," said The Oracle, "I regret that we see each other again under such circumstances."

"Oracle," said Will, "Did you bring us here? I mean how else could we if Nerissa has the crystal?" "He didn't bring you here," a voice coming from Will's left, "I did." There stood a tall man in a blue cloak. The hood of the cloak hid his face, but what could be seen were his eyes, which were glowing bright blue. "I too regret that we met again during such circumstances," said Allen Shockley, a.k.a. The Stranger, "But I must speak with you of a matter of utmost importance."

"So this is Candracar," said an amazed Eric to Hay Lin, "It's everything you said it was, and more." "Forgive me for sounding confused again," said Jaden, "But where we?" "This is the Temple of Candracar," said Will, "The center of infinity." "It's like a world between worlds," said Martin, "All dimensions can be accessible from here. I am so geeking out here!"

"You really do have a bad habit of getting aroused when it's not appropriate," said an annoyed Irma, "Nerissa and Pai-Mey Matoya have teamed up and have taken the crystal! Who knows what they're up to by now?" "Whatever they're up to," said Caleb, "They'll have a hard time agreeing over it." "He's right," said Nigel, "Nerissa nearly had to kill Pai-Mey to make her give Will the antidote." "I'm not surprised," said Matt as he tried to stand up, "Whenever two villains join forces, they usually try to stab each other in the back. Sooner or later, Nerissa and Pai-Mey are going to turn against each other."

"Don't try to stand up," said Will, "You've been through a lot." "I'm fine Will," said Matt as he stood up, "And here's my proof." Without any further hesitation, Matt kissed Will. The kiss lasted about 10 seconds. "Is that proof enough for you?" asked Matt. "I don't know," said Will, a huge smile on her blushing face, "I think I need to examine the evidence a bit more closely." And just like that, she reached up, wrapped her arms around Matt's neck and kissed him.

"I hate to interrupt the romance," said Taranee, "And really I do, but I think there someone here who wants to talk with you Will." "There is no need to rush Taranee Cook," said The Stranger, "Patience is one of my stronger virtues."

After five more minutes of tenderness, Will left Matt's embrace and said to Allen Shockley, "You wanted to talk to me, so talk." "Your greatest challenge as Keeper of the Heart of Candracar is at hand Wilma Vandom," said the Stranger. Will didn't even blink as The Stranger used her full name, something she despises. "My comrades and I have foreseen certain events of this day approaching for some time now."

"If you knew Nerissa and Pai-Mey were going to show up," said Cornelia, "And that they would force Will to hand over the crystal, why didn't you and your people do something to stop it?" "What happened today had to have happen," said Allen Shockley, "Will had to choose to surrender the crystal, or watch Matt die. It was the first part of her challenge, and I must say she passed. You did the right thing by giving The Heart of Candracar to Nerissa."

"If giving the crystal to Nerissa was the right thing," said Will, "What do I have to do to get it back before she and Pai-Mey use it to cause any further chaos?" "That you must figure out on your own," said The Stranger, "But I am allowed to tell you two things; before one day passes on your Earth, you will have the chance to get the crystal back. That's the first thing. The second thing is that before recovering the crystal, you must face yourself. That is all."

"What do you mean she must face herself?" asked Matt. "That she must figure out on her own," said The Stranger, who then faced Jaden, "As for you young Duelist, you are to play a crucial part in the recovery of the crystal." "What am I supposed to do to help Will?" asked Jaden. "That," said Allen Shockley "is also something you must figure out on your own." With a bright blue flash, The Stranger vanished. "I hate it when he does that," said Irma.

The end of chapter 3. Next chapter, we look in on Nerissa and Pai-Mey, 'nuff said. See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4: A Deal Is A Deal

Last time Will and her friends, including Jaden, were teleported to Candracar, not by The Oracle, but by The Stranger. Apparently Will is being tested as Keeper of The Heart of Candracar, and to pass the test Will must 'face herself.' Jaden is also to help in the test, but The Stranger wouldn't say what he's supposed to do. On with the show!

Chapter 4: A Deal Is A Deal

Deep within the many caves of Mt. Thatnos Nerissa was celebrating her acquisition of the crystal. Her celebration was cut short as Pai-Mey threw a kuni knife at her. Nerissa easily dodged the knife. "That was uncalled for," said Nerissa, "You ruined my victory dance." "I wouldn't celebrate too soon," said Pai-Mey, "We need to talk." "That still doesn't give you the excuse to try to kill me," said Nerissa. "Believe me," said Pai-Mey, "If I wanted to kill you for real, you'd be dead before you knew it. As I was saying, we need to talk, now."

"About what?" asked Nerissa. "First of all," said Pai-Mey, "When we started this venture, you told me that I would be able to kill one who was close to Will Vandom. You prevented me from killing the one that redheaded slit loved. I want to know why." "It's simple really," said Nerissa, "I gave Will my word that she'd get the antidote in exchange for The Heart of Candracar. My word is my bond."

"You also gave me your word that I'd take my revenge on Will," said Pai-Mey, "I want her to suffer as I have and more." She then rubbed her left arm where the flesh ended and the red material began. "I did give you my word," said Nerissa, "Before this venture is complete, you shall have exacted your pound of flesh, but first we shall journey to Candracar and destroy The Temple. I want to see the look in The Oracle's eyes as all reality begins to succumb to chaos."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Pai-Mey, "Every second we delay allows The Guardians to prepare for our attack." "There's nothing Will and her pathetic friends can do to stop me," said Nerissa, "As long as I have The Heart of Candracar, they are powerless to stop us. I'm just savoring the moment. We'll go to Candracar when it pleases me, not one second sooner." With that, Nerissa left the chamber.

"Bitch," said Pai-Mey to the empty room, "I should have picked a better cohort to work with to exact my revenge; one who isn't prone to procrastination." "You always were dedicated to the task at hand my dear," said a voice from Pai-Mey. She turned around to see the transparent image of a tall man. At first look, the man seemed to be dressed from head to toe in red leather with a red cape. But at closer inspection the leather turned out to be his skin; the cape turned out to be bat-like wings. His head was covered in the same red leather-like skin in the shape of a helmet. His eyes were dark blue, and his gaze seemed to pierce directly into Pai-Mey's twisted soul.

"Master Femto," said Pai-Mey as she bowed, "You honor me with your presence." "Rise my most loyal servant," said the demon, for it was a demon, "You have no need to humble yourself before me." "Master Femto," said Pai-Mey, "Once again, I cannot express my thanks for your forgiveness for my failure; I have no excuse for failing to providing The God Hand their sacrifice."

"Events were beyond your control," said Femto, "You weren't expecting to contend with The Guardians, not to mention several Shinobi and pirates. How is your new arm working out for you?" "It feels fine," said Pai-Mey as she moved her red arm about, "But I miss my old one, and I was attached to it after all." "Tell me," said Femto, "What is your opinion of Nerissa."

"She could be a great asset to the cause," said Pai-Mey, "If she would spend less time gloating. Her self-pride, combined with her uncontrolled greed for more and more power is her weakness." "Then it is a good thing that you do not suffer from such uncontrolled sins," said Femto, "Now you do remember the rest of the plan." "I do," said Pai-Mey, "Once Candracar is destroyed, I am to kill Nerissa and destroy the crystal. But before I stab Nerissa in the back, I am to make sure that Will Vandom is dead and the other Guardians are marked for sacrifice."

"Very good," said Femto. "Forgive me for asking," said Pai-Mey, "But why not kill them all, or sacrifice them all?" "Isn't it obvious?" asked Femto, "Ask yourself, 'for what reason wouldn't someone be sacrificed?' Think about it." "Pai-Mey pondered this for a minute or two before the answer hit her like a tone of bricks. "You mean to tell me that Will, the current keeper of The Heart of Candracar, that she is…"

"Exactly," said Femto. "Oh this is delicious!" exclaimed Pai-Mey gleefully, "Absolutely delicious!" "I knew you'd enjoy that bit of information," said Femto, "And once the deed is done, you shall be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams." "Ultimate Power?" asked Pai-Mey eagerly. "More than Ultimate Power," said Femto, "Succeed, and you shall stand by my side with the rest of The God Hand, as my bride for all eternity."

"Oh Master," said Pai-Mey, "This is more than I've ever asked fore, more than I've ever desired. I don't know what to say!" "You need not say anything," said Femto, "All I ask is loyalty and success, but remember; it was my force of will that prevented the rest of The God Hand from ripping you to pieces when you failed with the sacrifice. If you fail again, there shall be nothing I can do to save you from their wrath." "Worry not master," said Pai-Mey, "I promise you, Candracar shall burn and The Guardians shall be no more."

The end of chapter 4. Next time Will and her friends plan what to do to get the crystal back from Nerissa. See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5: What To Do

Last time we looked in on Nerissa and Pai-Mey. Apparently they don't like each other, nor do they trust each other very much. Pai-Mey was then visited by the demon Femto, a member of The God Hand. They discussed their overall plan; destroy Candracar, kill Will and sacrifice the other Guardians. On with the show!

Chapter 5: What To Do

"So what's the plan?" asked Irma. "I don't know," said Will, "Just give me some time to think." "Well while you're thinking," said Cornelia, "I think the time has come for some answers. Who or what is Allen Shockley?" she asked The Oracle. "The one you know as The Stranger," said The Oracle, "He and others like him were human once, many, many years ago. They banded together to observe and record history in the many universes, never to interfere, unless absolutely necessary."

"Like when he appeared in Will's dream," said Taranee. "And then he told us to go to Harry's Earth and help fight Voldemort," said Hay Lin. "What about those eyes," said Cornelia, "How did they get that way?" "There is a rare substance," said The Oracle, "Known only as The Ultra Devine Water. It greatly extends life; the one called Allen Shockley must be at least 2,000 years old by now. Those who drink of it, obtain knowledge and wisdom beyond imagination. But most of all, whoever partakes it gains the ability to see the absolute truth in all things."

"That's it!" exclaimed Will, "That's how we're gonna defeat Nerissa. But it'll never work." "What won't work?" asked Caleb. "It just hit me," said Will, "That ever since Nerissa first went power crazy, she's been building one wall after another around her mind, walls built out of lies. She's convinced herself that what she has done is the right thing and we're the villains. If we can somehow convince Nerissa of the truth of her actions, shatter the walls of lies around her minds, it would break her."

"Sounds like an idea to me," said Matt. "Yeah," said Will, "But I have no idea on how to convince Nerissa of the truth. That's why it won't work." "I disagree," said The Oracle, "There may be a way for you to carry out your plan Will." "How?" asked Will. "There is an artifact from ancient times," said The Oracle, "A mirror that reflects the truth. If Nerissa were to look into it, she would be forced to see the truth about herself."

"Sounds good," said Matt, "But what's the catch?" "The catch," said The Oracle "Is that whoever uses the mirror on another must first use its power on him or herself first." The Oracle looked Will right in the eyes, "If you are to use the mirror on Nerissa, you must first look into the mirror yourself."

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Will, "So where's this mirror? Let's get it over with." "There might be a problem with that," said Tibor, "We don't really know where the mirror is at this time." "Well wouldn't it be a good idea to go look for it!" said Irma. "I agree with Miss Lair," said The Oracle, "Kindly search for the mirror Tibor, and please hurry, time is of the essence."

"That takes care of that," said Nigel as Tibor left to find the mirror, "We've got a plan to stop Nerissa, but what about Pai-Mey?" "He's right," said Taranee, "Pai-Mey Matoya is an entirely different matter." "For her," said Will, "We're gonna need all the help we can get. Hay Lin, I need you to go to Konohamaru, find Naruto and anyone else who'll come."

"Roger!" exclaimed Hay Lin, she already having a blue stone that would transport her to Naruto's world. "Mind if I tag along?" asked Eric, "I'm anxious to meet the guy you've fallen for." "If you mean Rock Lee," said Hay Lin. "Yes," finished Eric, "I just want to talk with him, I don't want to fight." "Good thing," said Irma, "Rock Lee would probably kick his ass."

"Thanks for volunteering Irma," said Will, "I need you to go get Luffy and the rest of The Straw Hat Crew." "That might me a problem," said Irma, "For all we know, they're out in the middle of the ocean. Now I may be 'the divine goddess of the waters,' but I doubt there's time to search an entire ocean."

"That won't be a problem Irma," said The Oracle, "I sense your stretchy friend and his crew are currently on land. This stone shall take you to within a mile of their location. Good luck." As Irma looked at the stone The Oracle gave her, she noticed that Martin was looking at her, he doing the 'sad-puppy-eyes' routine. "You can come too," said Irma reluctantly, "Just don't do anything to embarrass me." "The thought never crossed my mind, my little sweet potato!" "Dear god in heaven," said Irma as she raised her gaze to the heavens, "What have I done to offend thee so to as to have such a blight placed on my person?"

As Hay Lin and Eric left for Naruto's world; and Irma and Martin left for Luffy's world, Jaden asked Will, "What do you want me to do?" "I don't know Jaden," said Will, "The Stranger said you had an important part in getting the crystal back from Nerissa. I don't know what that part is, but right now I need you for emotional support. "Can do cousin," said Jaden, "Can do."

The end of chapter 5. Next chapter, we return to Konohamaru, 'nuff said. See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6: Waiting for Naruto

Last time Will came up with a plan to defeat Nerissa, a plan involving a mirror that reflects the truth. However, in order for Will to use the mirror on Nerissa, Will must look into the mirror herself first. While Tibor began to search the archives for the mirror, Hay Lin and Eric left Candracar to once again recruit help from Naruto Uzamaki and his fellow Shinobi. Irma and Martin also left to find Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew. On with the show!

Chapter 6: Waiting for Naruto

Having arrived in Konohamaru, a.k.a. The Village Hidden in the Leaves, Hay Lin and Eric were waiting in the main Ninja training building for Naruto. "I hope he's available," said Hay Lin, "We don't have a lot of time to wait." "One thing my grandfather taught me," said Eric "Was that everything happens when it is supposed to happen. If we have to wait an hour or two for Naruto and his friends, then so be it."

Just then a boy of about 16 entered the room. He had a green outfit with spandex leggings. His hair was black and he had very bushy eyebrows. "Lee!" exclaimed Hay Lin. "Miss Hay Lin!" exclaimed Rock Lee as he embraced Hay Lin. "Oh it's so sweet!" exclaimed a female voice from behind Rock Lee. Hay Lin saw that the voice belonged to a girl of about 15 year; she has black hair done up into two buns, wore a pink top and black pants, she had the symbol for Konohamaru on her headband. Standing next to her was a boy of about 17; he had long brown hair in a ponytail, wore a gray top and pants, and had very pale eyes.

"Look Neji!" exclaimed the girl, "Our Rock Lee is in love!" "Ah, oh, yes," said Rock Lee, sounding rather embarrassed, "Miss Hay Lin, these are my teammates; Neji Huyga and Tenten. "Are you related to Hinata Huyga?" asked Hay Lin. "I am," said Neji, "She is my cousin and blood sister. We are both part of the Huyga clan, and with it, heirs of the Byakugan technique."

"Rock Lee's told us a lot about you," said Tenten, "He can't seem to stop talking about how wonderful his life has been since meeting you." "What's your ninja style, Tenten?" asked Hay Lin. "Weapons," said Tenten, "Any and all; from simple throwing knives to two-handed swords; from spears to axes; from bow & arrows to crossbows, I can handle anything."

"So you're the one who's brought the smile back to Hay Lin's face," said Eric as he shook Rock Lee's hand, "I hope you take good care of her." "Believe me," said Rock Lee, "I would die before allowing any harm to occur to Miss Hay Lin." He smiled and one of his teeth 'pinged.' "That's just disturbing," whispered Eric. "You'll get used to it," whispered Neji, "I did."

"So where's Naruto?" asked Hay Lin, "My friends and I need his and your help more than ever now." "Well," said Rock Lee, the smile fading from his face, "That might be a problem." "What kind of problem?" asked Hay Lin in a concerned tone. "Well it's kind of a funny story," said Tenten, "As a prank, Kiba dumped hot sauce into Naurto's ramen last night, and I mean a lot of hot sauce, five-alarm grade, the really nasty stuff. In an act of desperation, Naruto grabbed the nearest container of liquid he could find. He thought he had a jug of milk, but it was a jug of more hot sauce, this time seven-alarm grade. Naruto was then rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped, but he should be out and ready to go in an hour, assuming he's human."

"Oh he's human alright," said a dark voice from behind Hay Lin. There stood three ninjas, two boys and a girl. The girl had medium length blond hair and was dressed in gray and light tan. She had an extremely large fan strapped to her back. The first boy was dressed all in black. He had light purple tattoos on his face, and strapped to his back was something wrapped in bandages, with a mop of shaggy black hair sticking out from the top. The second boy, the one who spoke, had short red hair, no eyebrows, and the kanji symbol for love tattooed above his left eye. Strapped to his back was a large clay gourd full of what Hay Lin knew to be sand.

"Naruto has to be human," said Garra of the Sands, "No other creature in the universe is capable of making such an ass of himself." "I see you've fully recovered from being poisoned, Garra," said Hay Lin. "That I have," said Garra, "May I present brother Kankuro," he indicated the other boy, "And my sister Temari," indicating the girl with the fan on her back.

"You three don't look related," said Eric, "I mean no disrespect. "None taken," said Temari, "We get that a lot." "I can guess from the size of that fan," said Hay Lin, "That you use it to blow your enemies away with it. What I don't know, or maybe I'm afraid to know, is what is on his back."

"This," said Kankuro, "Is a puppet that I can control with my chakra. I can use it to attack my opponents and force them to attack it." "Sounds cool," said Eric, "I'd like to see that in action." "You might just get your wish," said Garra, "Tell me Hay Lin," he said in an anxious voice, "the reason you've return for our help, is it Pai-Mey Matoya?" "Yes," said Hay Lin, "The Empress is still alive. I'll explain everything once everyone's here. But why do you sound so anxious?" "I missed my chance to fight her due to the fact that I was recovering from being poisoned," said Garra, "I have every intention of fighting and killing Pai-Mey this time around."

Over the next hour everyone who went with Hay Lin the last time they went up against Pai-Mey showed up: Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Saske and Sakura. Hay Lin could see that Ino and Shikamaru were arguing over something, the next minute they were locked in a passionate kiss. "They've been like this ever since we came back from helping you," said Chouji as he was chomping down on a bag of 'salt and vinegar' chips, "One minute they can't keep their hands off each other, the next they can't stand the sight of each other, back and forth, back and forth."

Naruto was the last to arrive. He was looking rather pale, due to the fact that he had spent the night having his stomach pumped. He caught sight of Kiba and a look of mild rage came over his face. "My friend," said Naruto as he glared daggers at Kiba, "My dear friend Kiba. You lousy, no good, backstabbing creep!" "I'm sorry Naruto," said Kiba, "It was just a joke."

"A joke?" said Naruto, "A joke he says! I had to have my stomach pumped! All because you put hot sauce in my ramen, then you placed a jug of even hotter hot sauce where I thought a jug of milk would be. This is way more than just a joke, believe it!" "I said I was sorry!" exclaimed Kiba, "What else do you want me to say?" "I want you to admit that you did it so that I would miss out on my date with Hinata!" said Naruto.

At that Hinata, who was already blushing, blushed even more. _So Naruto and Hinata are dating,_ thought Hay Lin, _and if what I think is going on is going on, then this could get ugly._ "Now why would I go and do something like that?" asked Kiba. "Don't beat around the bush with me," said Naruto as he began to move towards Kiba, "You're jealous because Hinata likes me and not you."

"Me!" exclaimed Kiba, "Jealous of you? You're even dumber that I thought!" "You are jealous!" said Naruto as he stopped within arms reach of Kiba. "You're jealous and don't you deny it," said Naruto, "J-E-A-L-O-U-S!" With each letter Naruto slapped Kiba across the face.

"Alright it's true!" exclaimed Kiba as he held his hand at where Naruto slapped him, "I do have feelings for Hinata! She deserves better than an imbecile such as you!" By now Hinata was blushing five shades red. "Please don't fight over me," she mumbled. Of course neither Naruto nor Kiba heard her.

"What did you call me?" asked Naruto. "You herd me," said Kiba, "You are an imbecile!" Kiba then began to slap Naruto across the face. "I-M-B-I…" "Wait, there's no I after that," said Naruto. "You're right," said Kiba, "I'll that that one back." He then rubbed at where he slapped Naruto, and then continued to slap, "E-S… wait, there's no S." He again rubbed at Naruto's face, "C-I-L-E!"

As Naruto held his had at where Kiba slapped him, Hay Lin guessed he was trying to think of a long word to retaliate with. "You know what you are Kiba?" asked Naruto as he readied his hand. "What am I?" asked Kiba. "I'll tell you what you are," said Naruto, "You're Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Believe it!" "I'm what!" exclaimed Kiba. "You are Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" replied Naruto. "How do you spell that?" asked a confused Chouji. "S-u-p-e-r-c-a-l-i-f-r-a-g-i-l-i-s-t-i-c-e-x-p-i-a-l-i-d-o-c-i-o-u-s," answered Sakura.

"Scrabble freak," muttered Ino. "Sex addict," muttered Sakura. "I am not addicted to fornication!" exclaimed Ino. "Not from what I've seen when you're alone with Shikamaru," said Sakura slyly. "You've been watching us!" exclaimed Ino with burning rage. "And I have videos," said Sakura, "You've done some rather amazing positions, I wonder where you learned them?"

At this Ino pulled out two kuni, one in each hand. "I'll kill you!" Ino raged as charged at Sakura. Sakura already had her kuni ready, when Hay Lin sent a blast of air at both her and Ino, sending them both crashing into the nearby wall. "Impressive," said Temari. "Thanks," said Hay Lin, "Now, as much as I hate to end the Soap Opera drama, we have a bigger problem. So put aside your hate for a few minutes and listen! That goes for both you and Kiba as well, Naruto."

Hay Lin then spent the next ten minutes explaining the present crisis. "So Pai-Mey Matoya survived," said Saske, "And she has joined forces with your enemy, Nerissa." "And to make matters worse," said Sakura, "Nerissa has The Heart of Candracar." "I speak for everyone here," said Naruto, "when I say that this sucks, believe it!"

"Oh I believe it;" said Hay Lin, "Will and the others are back at the Temple. She has a plan to get the crystal back form Nerissa, but Pai-Mey is a different matter. She's got a new arm made out of the same stuff that the Behelits were made from. It's got some sort of power, but we don't know what it is yet. We're gonna need all the help we can get."

"You can count on all of us!" exclaimed Rock Lee, "No matter what new powers Pai-Mey Matoya has, no matter who she picked as her ally, we'll stop them, no matter what!" "Just hearing you say that," said Hay Lin, "Makes me believe that it's already true."

Meanwhile Ino and Sakura had come to somewhat of an understanding. "I'm willing to stop if you are," said Sakura, "That is, if you are." "I'll stop if you stop," said Ino, "Until the end of the present crisis." "Agreed," said Sakura as she shook Ino's hand. _Billboard browed_ _bitch,_ thought Ino. _Bleached haired whore!_ raged Sakura's inner ego.

One hour later everyone was ready to depart for Candracar. "Does everybody have everything?" asked Naruto. "We have everything we need except the kitchen sink," said Sakura. "I think I have that packed somewhere," said Shikamaru. "Okay then," said Hay Lin as she held out the teleportation stone, "Here we go!" With a bright flash, they all left for Candracar.

The end of chapter 6. Next chapter, we look in on Irma and Martin as they search for The Straw Hat Crew. See you next time!


	7. Chapter 7: Searching for Luffy

Last time Hay Lin and Eric arrived in Konohamaru to once again recruit Naruto and his fellow Shinobi to combat Pai-Mey Matoya. After several heated moments, including a slapping match between Naruto and Kiba, Naruto and the others left with Hay Lin for Candracar. On with the show!

Chapter 7: Searching for Luffy

"This is impossible!" exclaimed Irma as she and Martin stood in the middle of a town marketplace, said town on the shore of a large island. They had spent the last three hours looking for Luffy and his fellow pirates with no luck in sight. "Nothing is impossible my little cupcake," said Martin, "We still have time."

"First of all," said Irma, "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't call me such names. Second of all, we don't have time. Every second we spend looking for that brainless pirate brings Nerissa and Pai-Mey another second closer to attacking Candracar. We don't have time to waste time!"

"So what are you suggesting," said Martin, "That we just give up and return to the Temple?" "I don't know," said Irma as she sat down on the ledge of a fountain, "I don't know what to do right now. The enemy has the crystal, The Stranger is spouting his usual riddles, and the only one who apparently can help Will get The Heart of Candracar back is her cousin who, in my humble opinion, has less than half a brain."

"I think you're being somewhat harsh on Jaden," said Martin, "From what I heard about him, he gotten himself and his friends out of some tight spots while at Duel Academe." "This isn't Duel Academe," said Irma, "So I sincerely doubt Jaden can help out." She sighed and gazed up towards the heavens, "God, I know I've asked a lot of you, but I could really use a miracle right about now."

Funny thing how miracles work, sometimes you get them when you ask for them, sometimes they don't come when you ask, and sometimes they come without any asking at all. I wouldn't exactly call what happened next a miracle, but it sure seemed that way to Irma. She stood up, turned left and tripped over a reindeer; a reindeer that was standing on two legs, wore a blue shirt, red shorts, and a top hat and had a blue nose.

"Doc Chopper!" exclaimed Martin as he helped Irma up, "Am I glad to see you!" "Nice to see you too," said Tony Tony Chopper, or just Chopper to his friends, "But tripping over people is a strange way of showing appreciation." "I'm sorry," said Irma, "I didn't see you down there." "It's okay," said Chopper, "I'm used to it. So what brings you two to the Grand Line?"

"We've got trouble," said Irma, "Myself and the other Guardians and we need Luffy and the others. You haven't seen him anywhere have you?" "I wish," said Chopper, "I lost sight of him and the others about six hours ago. I walked away for five minutes to use the bathroom, and they're all gone. But I wouldn't worry; Luffy and the others usually show up sooner or later, with trouble about two steps behind them."

Just then Irma began to hear a loud rumble coming from behind her. "What's that?" she asked. "Sounds like a stampede," said Martin, "And it's coming from there." He pointed up a wide street behind Irma. Irma turned around to see a large dust cloud forming from far up the street.

"What is that?" asked Irma. "Well whatever it is," said Martin, "It's coming this way." "It's Luffy," said Chopper as he sniffed the air with his blue nose. "How do you know?" asked Irma. "The wind is blowing towards us," said Chopper as he smelled the air again, "I can smell Luffy, Zolo, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and they're being chased by a large, angry mob."

True enough, there was Luffy with his usual straw hat; first mate Zolo with his three swords; navigator Nami, who was carrying a large sack full of who knows what; ship's gunner Usopp; ship's cook Sanji, and they were being chased by a large, angry mob carrying pitchforks and other lethal instruments.

"CHOPPER!" yelled Luffy as he and his crew ran down the street from the mob behind them, "GET BACK TO THE SHIP!" "We better go," said Chopper as he morphed from his two-legged form to his four-legged form, "Hop on!" "I've never ridden a reindeer," said Martin. "It's sort of like ridding a horse," said Irma as she got on Chopper's back. "I've never ridden a horse either," said Martin. "Then you're really in trouble then," said Irma.

"Just get on!" exclaimed Chopper as Irma pulled Martin onto his back. Quick as lightning Chopper ran towards the docks. "How are you doing this!" exclaimed Martin as he held onto Irma, who was holding onto Chopper. "Its part of the cursed fruit I ate," said Chopper, "When I'm in this form, I gain super speed. When I'm in my more human form, I get a huge brain boost. And when I'm in my third and largest form, I gain super strength."

"We never seen your third form!" shouted Irma. "Well if your trouble is as serious as you say it is," said Chopper as they neared the docks, "You might just get to see it." He skidded to a halt beside a 40-foot ship with three masts. "There she is," said Chopper, "The Merry-Go-Round." "Who named your ship?" asked Irma who was barely able to contain her laughter. "It's a long story," said Chopper as he morphed back to his smaller, humanoid form, "Help me get her ready for sail."

Working with Chopper, Irma and Martin managed to get the ship ready to leave. Irma noticed that the ship's Jolly Roger, the usual flag symbol of pirates, had a Straw Hat painted with it. The sails were also painted like the flag. "Luffy sure does like his straw hats," said Irma to herself.

They then raised the anchor and untied the shorelines. "Aren't we leaving somewhat early?" asked Martin as the ship began to move away from the dock, "I thought we were waiting for Luffy and the others." "They'll make it," said Chopper, "They always do." And true enough; Irma and Martin saw Luffy and co. running down the docks, still being chased by the angry mob. As the ship continued to pull away from the dock, Irma could hear Usopp yelling; "We're not going to make it!"

"Yes we will!" shouted Luffy as he stretched out his arms and grabbed his friends; Zolo and Nami in his left arm, Usopp and Sanji in his right. When Luffy reached the edge of the dock, he coiled his legs into springs; "Gum Gum Liftoff!" Unleashing the pent-up energy of his coiled legs, Luffy catapulted himself and his crew out over the water and onto the deck of the ship.

"That was close," said Nami as she gasped for air. "Well there's another island we can never go back to," said Zolo. "We're not out of the soup yet," said Sanji, "They're still chasing us!" The angry mob had reached several ships still tied to the docks, readied them and continued their pursuit, still brandishing pitchforks and other lethal objects.

"We'll never get away in time!" exclaimed Usopp, "We're dead!" "Not on my watch!" said Irma as she used her power over water to summon two currents; one to push the Merry-Go-Round out to sea, the other to hold back the pursuing ships from chasing them. Ten minutes later the island was a smudge on the horizon, and there wasn't another ship within sight.

"Thanks Irma," said Luffy eagerly, "We owe you one." "My pleasure," said Irma, "But why was that mob chasing you anyway?" "Ask them," said Zolo as he pointed at Nami, then at Sanji, "They were the ones being chased in the first place. We were only in the mob's way."

"What were you two doing while the rest of us were provision shopping?" asked Usopp. "And what's in the sack Nami?" asked Luffy. "Oh this?" asked Nami as she held her sack away from Luffy, "Well," she said defensively and innocently, "I was only liberating a few lonely gems from the cruel fate of being locked up behind glass."

"You were stealing from the island governor's mansion," said Zolo "Weren't you?" "So what if I was?" said Nami as she innocently pushed her loot down a cargo hold, "They were just sitting there behind glass, begging me to take them! But I did everything right, I was almost out of the door without anyone knowing I was there, when Sanji ran by me, he was the one the mob was after."

"Just what were you doing up at the mansion anyway?" asked Chopper. "I wasn't doing anything wrong," said Sanji, "I was in the company of a lovely young lady who was interested in my culinary expertise." "Oh bull sh$t!" exclaimed Zolo, "I know what you were doing." "What was I doing if you're so smart?" asked Sanji. "I know what he was doing," said Usopp, "He got caught getting fresh with the daughter of the island governor."

"Sanji you man-whore!" raged Nami, "Once again you almost got us killed because you can't keep your equipment in your pants!" "I have needs Nami!" exclaimed Sanji, "when a man spends weeks at a time at sea, he gets 'the urge.' And I'm sure you get 'the urge' as well." "I'm not even going to reply to that," said Nami as she went down to the cargo hold to, Irma assumed, count her latest acquisitions.

"So," said Luffy to Irma and Martin, "What brings you two to the Grand Line?" "That's what I asked before you showed up with that angry mob," said Chopper. "As I told Chopper," said Irma, "We've got trouble, but I think I should wait for Nami to come back up." "I'm listening!" shouted Nami from the cargo hold.

And so Irma told Luffy and his friends what had transpired; Nerissa and Pai-Mey havening joined forces, Nerissa forcing Will to surrender The Heart of Candracar, and everything else. "So I was right," said Luffy in a serious tone, "It wasn't over when we stopped the demons." "And this Nerissa has the crystal," said Nami as she emerged from the cargo hold, "You're right Irma, you've got trouble."

"Hay Lin already went to Naruto's world to get him and his fellow ninjas," said Irma, "And here I am, asking you to help again, my friends and I need all the help we can get." "You have it," said Luffy, "When do we leave for Candracar?" "Right now if you want," said Irma as she held the teleportation stone The Oracle gave her.

"Well let's find a safe place to dock the ship," said Zolo, "I'd rather not come back to find our means of transportation gone." "Oh," said Luffy, "I knew that." "Sure you did," said Usopp sarcastically. "There's a small island about 10 miles west," said Nami as she checked her map of the local area, "We should find a secure place to stash the ship."

Using her power to summon another current, Irma had the ship at the island specified by Nami within 20 minutes. Once the ship was secured, Irma used the teleportation stone. With a flash, they all left for Candracar.

The end of chapter 7. Next time, Will looks into the mirror to discover her real self. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 8: The Mirror

Last time we watched as Irma and Martin searched for Luffy and his fellow pirates. The found them, they being chased by an angry mob. After helping Luffy and the others get away from the mob, Luffy told Irma that he and his friends are more than happy to help fight Nerissa and Pai-Mey. They then left for Candracar. On with the show!

Chapter 8: The Mirror

"What's taking you so long?" Will said out loud, "Why don't you attack?" "Who's she talking to?" asked Jaden. He, Will and Matt were on one of the many balconies adorning The Temple. "My guess," said Matt, "Nerissa." "Now why would she do that?" asked Jaden. "I don't know," answered Matt.

"You've had plenty of time to gloat and enjoy having the crystal back," said Will out loud, "Why don't you just come here and finish it? Why make us wait? Unless, you want us to wait, to keep us on edge." "Uh Will," said Jaden, "I don't think it's a good sign to be talking to yourself."

"I guess I'm more tired than I thought," said Will, "If I'm talking to myself." "You hate her," said Jaden, "Nerissa I mean, you hate her for what she's done." "I used to," said Will, "But I've learned since then that hate can easily get out of control." "She's right," said Matt, "Nerissa used me against Will by turning me into a creature that fed on hate. I nearly killed that which is precious to me, all because of blind hate."

"How did you break free of Nerissa's control?" asked Jaden. "A mixture of love," said Matt, "Compassion, and good old fashion rock'n'roll." "What I feel towards Nerissa now," said Will, "Is pity. I pity her because she lost so much of her humanity to her greed, her lust for power. She can only express herself by inflicting pain, misery and suffering on those around her. It'd be easy to hate her, but it'd be human to pity her. When I get the Heart of Candracar back, and I will get it back, I have every intention of showing compassion and mercy to her."

"What about Pai-Mey," said Jaden, "Are you going to show mercy to her?" "Now that," said Matt, "Is truly a horse of a different color." "Pai-Mey is a convicted criminal," said Will, "When this is over, assuming she's still alive, we're taking her back to her home world to finish her punishment."

"I've been wondering," said Matt, "Tell me Jaden, just what did you do to save Will's life?" "Oh, that," said Jaden, "Well, what happened was that when I was 9 and she was 8, we were crossing a street, at a crosswalk, when this car came out of nowhere. It nearly hit Will, but I pulled her out of the way just in time."

"Just in time nothing," said Will, "If you were a second slower, I would have been road-kill." "Why did that car try to run you over?" asked Matt. "I don't know," said Will, "and I guess I'll never know, the guy was never caught." Just then Taranee and Cornelia ran out onto the balcony. "Will!" exclaimed Taranee, Irma and Hay Lin are back!" "And they both brought help," said Cornelia, "Lots of it!"

Will, Matt and Jaden ran back into the main hall of the Temple where Hay Lin, Irma, Martin and Eric were with Naruto and his group, along with Luffy and his group. Both groups were enjoying the reunion. Sakura was the first to see Will. "Hey," said the pinked haired ninja "Are you alright?" "Considering the circumstances," said Will, "I think I'm doing okay."

"So you're Will's cousin," said Naruto to Jaden, "I haven't known her that long, but she's an incredible person, believe it!" "I should believe it," said Jaden, "I've known her since I was seven."

"That's an impressive looking fan on your back," said Zolo to Temari, "I hope to see it in action." "If what Naruto said about this Pai-Mey Matoya is true," said Temari, "Then you'll see it soon."

"So let me get this straight so I'll understand it," said Caleb to Neji and Hinata, "Your dad," he pointed toward Hinata, "And his dad," he pointed at Neji, "Were twin brothers." "Correct," said Neji. "I sometimes get confused who's father is whom," said Hinata.

"When this is over," said Luffy to Hay Lin, "I'll have Sanji cook a 21 course feast." "I'm sure my Grandma can help at the family restaurant," said Hay Lin. "I don't care where the feast is," said Naruto, "As long as there's ramen." "When this is over," said Saske, "You can drown yourself in ramen if you desire." Just then The Oracle and Tibor entered the room. "Forgive us for interrupting the reunion," said The Oracle, "But Tibor has found the mirror."

The mirror turned out to be that, a mirror. It was a round hand mirror without a handle, roughly a foot in diameter. The actual mirror was an eight-inch circle, covered by a hinged metal clasp, the like Will had never seen before. Incasing the mirror was another metal she had never seen before. This one has strange symbols etched into it around the mirror circle. As Will held the mirror in her hands, she saw only two words she could actually read, but she didn't know what they mean; _eldt durin_."

"The words mean 'in truth: power," said Tibor, "Or as near a translation as can be made." "Understandably true," said The Oracle, "The truth can be a powerful weapon, if one knows how to use it wisely." "What do I do now?" asked Will. "Unclasp the mirror," said The Oracle, "And simply look into the mirror. Instead of your reflection, you shall see every negative action you have done in your life; every lie you've told to others, every lie you told to yourself, every time you acted wrongly and so on."

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Will, "I'm still young, and so I haven't done much negative actions." "A wise statement," said The Oracle, "But I must warn you Will, people have been driven mad by what they have seen in the mirror, for not only does the mirror reveal the negative, it also reveals the positive. In summery, this mirror shall reveal to you who you truly are. Some people are not prepared to learn such knowledge."

"Is anybody ever ready to know that kind of information?" asked Will as she unclasped the hinge. "Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Matt. "It has to be done," said Will, "If someone doesn't first look into the mirror before showing it to someone else, then it won't work, or, at least that's how I think that's how it works." "You are correct," said Tibor, "She must be allowed to look into the mirror before showing it to Nerissa."

"In that case," said Naruto as he shook Will's hand, "Good luck." "Same here," said Luffy as he shook Will's hand. Will then spent the next several minutes shaking hands and being wished luck. Finally, with no one else to wish her well, she opened the metal hinge, and looked into the polished metal that was the mirror.

Nothing happened for several minutes as Will gazed into the mirror. "How do we know its working?" asked Taranee. "Have patience;" said The Oracle, "As we speak, her life so far is being replayed for her. Due to Will's youth, it shouldn't be much longer."

Just then something totally unexpected happened: Will closed the hinge, but she didn't secure the clasp. Walking to a nearby corner of the walls, she carefully placed the mirror on the floor, and sat down, a glazed and dazed look in her eyes. "Will?" asked Matt, "Are you alright?" "How was it?" asked Jaden. "What did you see?" asked Hay Lin.

Will was unresponsive; she just sat there, staring off into space. "What's wrong with her?" asked Matt, "What did that mirror do to her?" "Will has seen who she really is," said The Oracle, "She has seen her entire life up until now, everything that has happened to her. The experience was too much for her to handle all at once."

"And you didn't warn her!" raged Matt, "You didn't tell her that she'd go all catatonic?" "I warned her that to look into the mirror was to invite madness," said The Oracle, "We should consider it lucky that Will isn't a raving lunatic by now. An hour, maybe two and she'll recover from her experience.

"And what if Will doesn't recover after two hours," said Taranee, "What if she's like this for the rest of her life? What then?" "I think we've got a bigger problem," said Cornelia, "The enemy is here!" At that everyone ran to the balcony. Sure enough, of in the distance, Pai-Mey and Nerissa were approaching the Temple.

"What now?" asked Martin, "They'll be here in less than fifteen minutes!" Naruto stared out towards the enemy, glaring at what he thought was Pai-Mey Matoya. "If they find Will in this condition," said Naruto, "They'll kill her for sure. So here's the plan; we're going down outside, and we're going to hold them off."

"What do you mean 'hold them off'?" asked Luffy. "I meant exactly what I said," said Naruto, "Your crew and my friends are going to stall the enemy for time." "I see what you're planning," said Caleb, "Keep Nerissa and Pai-Mey busy so Will can have the time to recover."

"Right in one, believe it!" exclaimed Naruto. He then faced his fellow Shinobi, "It's all or nothing now, so if there's anyone who doesn't want to fight, now's the time to say so." Nobody said anything. "Then let's go out there and get them!" exclaimed Naruto.

"What do you want us to do?" asked Irma. "Just stay with Will," said Luffy, "And keep her safe." Meanwhile Hay Lin and Rock Lee were having an emotional moment. "Do me a favor," said Hay In, "Don't die." "The thought never crossed my mind," said Rock Lee. They kissed, and he joined the others as they headed outside.

The end of chapter 8. Next time Naruto, Luffy and their crews confront Nerissa and Pai-Mey. See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9: PaiMey's Power pt1

Last time Hay Lin and Irma returned to Candracar with help, help in the form of Naruto and his fellow ninjas, along with Luffy and his fellow pirates. The reunion was cut short when Tibor found the mirror. Will looked into the mirror, and was so shocked by what it revealed to her, she became catatonic. This was made worse when Nerissa and Pai-Mey showed up. The ninjas and pirates decided that they were to hold off the enemy in order to give Will the time she needed to recover. On with the show!

Chapter 9: Pai-Mey's Power part 1

There it is," said Nerissa to her ally, "The Temple of Candracar." "It's a shame," said Pai-Mey, "that a construction of such beauty must be destroyed." "We do what we must do to further our cause," said Nerissa, and with that, the two advanced towards The Temple. "Did you know," said Pai-Mey, "That when I was young I could have been an architect?" "I did not," said Nerissa in a tone that sounded like she didn't care.

"When I was but a child," said Pai-Mey, "When I was still loyal to The Village Hidden in the Leaves, my instructors said I didn't have what it took to be a ninja, they jested that I'd make a better architect instead. But I had already chosen the Shinobi path. I persisted, and after several years of toil and self-sacrifice I finally achieved the elite rank of Jônin. When the Great Ninja War occurred I became one of the greatest spies and assassins to ever walk the land. And how was I rewarded for all my hard work?"

"I don't know," said Nerissa sarcastically, "Why don't you tell me." "When the war ended I was cast aside like any tool that has served its purpose. So I found a new purpose in the study of ancient jutsus; skills that were marked forbidden just because they were used for the wrong means. I was on the path to becoming an even more powerful ninja, one stronger than any ninja before, when the fools who ran the ninja council found me out. I was hunted down like an animal, all because I was trying to be better than I was."

"How tragic," said Nerissa just before yawning, "Please continue." "When I was finally captured," said Pai-Mey, "The head ninja of the village, The Hokage, sentenced me to life imprisonment. I escaped, and was once again hunted. The Hokage had me cornered on the edge of a swamp. He offered me a choice; return to Konohamaru and finish my punishment, or die right then and there. I chose freedom, so I ran into the swamp. Five minutes later I regretted my decision when I fell into a pool of quicksand."

"How ever did you escape?" asked Nerissa sarcastically. "It was my red Behelit," said Pai-Mey, "The one I had carried around my neck since before the war, the one that protected me from so many dangers. The eyes on the stone opened up, and a man appeared before me, a man that was a demon of unbelievable power. He said his name was Femto, and that he'd been looking forward to meeting me.

"Femto offered me a choice," continued Pai-Mey, "I could give him my soul, and serve him and The God Hand for ages to come, but I would live; or I could keep my soul and die right then and there in the quicksand." "So you chose to live," said Nerissa, "And here you are. Well, it's been 'fascinating' hearing your life story, but we've reached The Temple. And if I'm not mistaken, The Oracle has sent a welcoming committee."

Sure enough, Naruto, Luffy and their friends had taken positions in front of the door leading into the Temple. "This must be my lucky day," said Pai-Mey with a nasty smile, "Two of the three people I want to kill the most are right here. The foolish young ninja with delusions of grandeur who cut my arm off," she glared at Naruto before shifting her gaze to Luffy, "And the stretchy pirate freak that smashed my red Behelit."

"I wish I'd cut your head off instead," said Naruto grimly, "My dreams aren't delusional. I'm gonna be Hokage some day, believe it!" "And I'm not a freak," said Luffy, "I'm a rubber man. And someday I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

"You're a 'what' now?" asked Nerissa. "I said I'm a rubber man," said Luffy, who then stretched his face three feet out, "See?" "Indeed I do," said a disturbed Nerissa. "She sees it already!" exclaimed Kiba, "So put it away!" "Oh sorry," said Luffy as his faced returned to normal.

Back up on the balcony Hay Lin and Eric were watching the unfolding drama below, them and everyone else. "They're just standing there talking," said Eric, "Why aren't they fighting?" "Naruto and Luffy are probably just stalling fro time," said Hay Lin, "It's what I'd do."

Caleb meanwhile was gripping the balcony railing so hard his knuckles had turned white. "You're tense," said Cornelia, "And I think I know why. You want to be down there, you want to fight." "Every fiber in my being is screaming to get down there and cut Nerissa's head off," said Caleb, "Every fiber except my heart." "And what does your heart say?" asked Cornelia. "That my place is with you," said Caleb, "And your place is with Will."

Will however was still catatonic. Matt was doing his best to help, but to no avail. "Come on Will," said Matt, "You've got to snap out of it." Will just stared off into space.

Back outside things were starting to heat up. "Enough talk," said Nerissa, "If you fools value your lives, you'd stand aside and allow my comrade and I to destroy this wretched place." "And if you knew what was good for you," said Sakura, "You'd both turn around and go back where you came from."

"Don't bother, Sakura," said Saske, "People like them only understand straight forward facts." "I was being straight forward," said Sakura. "Moving along," said Naruto, "The only way you're going to destroy The Temple, is to go through us." "That's right!" exclaimed Luffy, "All of us!"

"Well why didn't you just say so in the first place?" said Pai-Mey as she removed her robes. She was dressed in a red and black form fitting ninja outfit, "I've been itching to kill you impudent interlopers for some time now."

"This isn't the time for petty fighting," said Nerissa, "I sense Will is at her most venerable point. Now is the time to strike and eliminate The Guardians once and for all!" "In due time," said Pai-Mey as she stretched and limbered up for the fight, "After all, you did promise me that I'd exact my pound of flesh. Well that time is now!"

"Then I shall wait," said Nerissa, "But make it quick, I hate to wait when I don't have to. But remember, Will must be killed." "And the other Guardians marked for sacrifice," said Pai-Mey, "I know. So, whom shall I terminate first?" "Your opponent is me traitor," said Naruto as he stepped forward, "Now you're gonna answer for what you've done. SHADO CLONE JUTSU!" Four clones of Naruto appeared, each along with the original ready to fight. "Bring it on!" exclaimed Pai-Mey, "I can handle anything you throw at me!"

The five Naruto's charged at Pai-Mey, each with a kuni in their hands. They reached her and began to grapple, but it didn't last long, for Pai-Mey dispatched each clone with a single direct hit. "Is that all your precious clones have?" asked Pai-Mey as she attacked the original Naruto. Her fist made contact, and Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What is this!" exclaimed Pai-Mey, "Where are you hiding boy?" "Right behind you!" exclaimed another clone Naruto, who delivered a strong kick to Pai-Mey's side. This sent her flying over to where three more clones were waiting. They kicked as one, sending Pai-Mey hurtling up. Pai-Mey tried to regain her senses, just to see the real Naruto jump up and slam his heal into her torso, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Incase you're wondering," said the real Naruto as his clones faded away, that's what I call the 'Uzumaki Barrage!'" "Cool!" exclaimed Luffy. "Sweet move!" exclaimed Sanji. "Impressive," said Zolo. "You should be impressed," said Kiba, "he first used that move on me."

Just then Pai-Mey stood up, apparently unharmed. "Not bad," she said, "But you'll have to do better. Now it is my turn." Faster than the eye could see Pai-Mey vanished. She reappeared behind Naruto, and had him in a sleeper hold before he knew what was going on, her red arm choking his neck.

Naruto tried to throw Pai-Mey off his back, but she wouldn't budge. Less than a minute later, Naruto collapsed from lack of air. "Naruto!" exclaimed Hinata. She rushed to Naruto's unconscious form and dragged him out of the battle area. "Is he...?" asked Hinata as Chopper examined him. "He'll be fine in a few minutes," said Chopper, "Sleeper holds don't keep you out for too long."

"Something's not right," said Sakura, "A sleeper hold shouldn't have knocked him out that quickly. Pai-Mey's up to something, and I'm gonna find out what." She made her way to the battle area, but paused. "Saske, keep your eyes open." "I'm way ahead of you Sakura," said Saske. As Sakura entered the battle area, Saske activated his special ability, "Sharingan Eye!"

"So you're my next victim," said Pai-Mey, "My pinked haired friend." "You don't know the meaning of the word 'friend,'" said Sakura as moved her headband from it's normal place (she uses it to tie her hair back) to around her forehead, the symbol for Konohamaru displayed, "If you did, then we wouldn't be here."

"I suppose you're right," said Pai-Mey, "But that's irrelevant now, so attack me, if you can." "O I can attack you," said Sakura as she made her hand signs, "Soul Sonic Jutsu!" Sakura became charged with blue lightning and she attacked Pai-Mey. They grappled, Sakura launching blow after blow, but Pai-Mey blocked each one.

"I thought the histories said Pai-Mey wasn't a good fighter!" exclaimed Kiba. "That's what they said!" exclaimed Shikamaru. "The histories tell of Pai-Mey from 100 years ago," said Garra, "A lot can happen in a century."

"I don't care how much Pai-Mey has improved over the years," said Saske, "Something is wrong and my Sharingan Eye can't pick it up!" "What do you mean you can't pick it up?" asked Neji, "I thought the Sharingan Eye could read any ninja technique!"

"This is no Shinobi technique," said Saske, "And what's wrong right now is that Sakura is exhausting her chakra sooner than she should." Indeed Sakura's movements were more sluggish than normal. "If this is the best you can do," said Pai-Mey, "Then I am not impressed." She backhanded Sakura, sending her spinning to the ground.

"This doesn't look good," said Irma back up on the balcony. "Gee," said Cornelia, "It must be Obvious Day at Camp Stupid!" Will, meanwhile, was still unresponsive.

"My turn!" exclaimed Shikamaru as he made his hand signs, "Shadow Capture Jutsu!" Extending his shadow to Pai-Mey's, Shikamaru had effectively immobilized his opponent. "Do it now Ino!" exclaimed Shikamaru who was already drenched in sweat, "I can't hold her much longer, and I don't know why!"

"Then I'd better make it fast!" exclaimed Ino as she made her hand signs, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Her body went limp as Ino attempted to possess Pai-Mey, she didn't stay limp for long. "She blocked me!" exclaimed Ino, "She blocked my mind transfer!" "Stupid little girl!" shouted Pai-Mey, "It'll take more than that to control me!" With a wave of her red arm, Pai-Mey broke free of Shikamaru's shadow hold.

"This is wrong!" exclaimed Saske, "She's defeating our best moves, and I don't know how!" "Then allow me to end this battle!" exclaimed Zolo as he drew his three swords, "This victory shall bring me one step closer to being the best swordsman ever! DRAGON TWISTER!"

Zolo became a whirlwind of blades as he delivered twenty-one slices to Pai-Mey's form. However, when Zolo stopped spinning, he found no bloody scraps of flesh. "Impossible," said Zolo, "Nobody dodges my Dragon Twister!" "Well I just did," said Pai-Mey from behind Zolo. He turned around just in time to be hit in the face with a bright white light. He fell down to the ground, unable to move.

"You've just experienced my Medusa Jutsu," said Pai-Mey as she pulled out a blood stained kuni, "One of the forbidden ninja arts I learned. Now, I was going to sacrifice you and your friends in a proper ritual, but I'll have to be satisfied by rinsing my hands in your blood."

"GUM GUM RESCUE!" exclaimed Luffy as he rapidly stretched his arms out to and grabbed Zolo's paralyzed body, dragging him out of harm's way. "How is he?" asked Luffy as Chopper examined Zolo. "He'll be fine in an hour," said Chopper, "Assuming we're all still here in an hour."

"That's the same paralyzing technique the Naz'riak demons used on us," said Caleb, "Now we know where the demons learned their stuff."

"Hinata," said Neji, "It's obvious Saske's Sharingan eye doesn't work in this situation." "What do you want me to do?" asked Hinata. "I want you to stand back and observe as I fight," said Neji, "That way, if I fail, you can tell the others what you've seen." "I understand," said Hinata as Neji stepped into the battle area.

"Another victim," said Pai-Mey, "You must realize by now that it is pointless to resist. I cannot be defeated." "That remains to be seen," said Neji, "now let's see what I can see, Byakugan!" The area around Neji's eyes began to pulsate with exposed veins as he used his special ability. "I can see your chakra network," said Neji, "time to shut it down!"

He attacked, striking Pai-Mey with the palms of his hands. "I don't get it," said Taranee from on the balcony, "he's just barely hitting her." "Neji is doing more than that," said Eric, "While Hay Lin and I waited for Naruto and the other ninjas, Neji explained his family specialty. What Neji is doing is that he's attacking Pai-Mey's chakra flow. Each hit he lands sends a portion of Neji's chakra into Pai-Mey, blocking off part of the chakra network. Normally one couldn't see this network of energy, but Neji can with his Byakugan."

"You must have had a lot to talk about," said Irma. "Actually he did all the talking," said Eric, "I just listened." "Come on Will," said Matt, "You've got to snap out of it, you have to." She didn't even blink.

Meanwhile Neji's hands were moving so fast as he continued his attack they appeared as a blur. "There," said Neji as he stop his barrage, "I've just finished blocking 64 points on your chakra network, while at the same time inflicting considerable damage to your internal organs. I'd give up if I were you."

"Fortunately for me," said Pai-Mey, "I'm not you. It is you who should give up." "No!" exclaimed Neji as he used his Byakugan to check his attack, "This can't be happening!" "Oh but it is!" exclaimed Pai-Mey, "Ask your cousin, she'll confirm it for you!"

"She's right!" exclaimed Hinata, "All Neji as done is make her stronger!" "How can this be?" asked Temari, "I thought Neji's attacks were meant to weaken his opponents, not make them stronger." "I didn't want to believe it," said a rather disturbed Saske, "but it's true. All of our attacks have made Pai-Mey stronger. Every time we attack with a ninjutsu or a genjutsu she absorbs the chakra used in the technique."

"So you finally realize my power," said Pai-Mey, "Now take the next step and surrender. I might just be in the mood to spare some of you." Things weren't over just yet, as Chouji, in his Meat Tank form, rolled in from behind Pai-Mey. He accelerated and struck Pai-Mey with the force of a speeding truck. The blow sent her skidding several feet.

Chouji stopped rolling, his head and limbs popping out from their retracted position. "How do you like that bitch!" exclaimed Chouji, "Didn't manage to get any of my chakra on that, did you!" "Yes!" exclaimed Nigel from up on the balcony, "They finally managed to hurt her!"

At that time a bruised Pai-Mey was staggering to her feet. "That's going to leave a mark," she groaned. "Then allow me to leave another one!" shouted Chouji. His head and limbs retraced into his expanded form, and he began to roll again. "Not this time!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she pointed her red arm at the advancing Chouji. The arm glowed with dark red energy, and a crimson beam shot form her hand, striking Chouji.

The force of the blast caused Chouji to roll in the opposite direction. When the energy beam stopped, he stopped rolling beside Ino and Shikamaru, deflating to his normal shape and size. "You all right?" asked Ino. "One extra large pizza with everything to go," groaned Chouji. "He's fine," said Shikamaru.

"I hope that little display was convincing, Nerissa," said Pai-Mey. "It was impressive," said Nerissa, "But what was it to convince me of?" "Of the unstoppable power of The God Hand," said Pai-Mey, "They would be more than happy to accept you in a more permanent partnership."

"I appreciate the offer," said Nerissa, "But I'm nobody's pawn." "Are you calling me a pawn?" asked Pai-Mey, just as a fist attached to a long arm blasted her in the face. As she staggered from the force of the blow, Pai-Mey saw that the long arm belonged to Luffy.

"That was a dirty move," said Pai-Mey, "Striking a lady when she's not looking." "You're no lady," said Luffy grimly, "You're a demon that only looks like one," he readied for another strike, "Gum Gum Blast!" Luffy sent his fist zooming towards Pai-Mey, but she stopped the attack with her red arm, the crimson fist gripping Luffy's. "I must thank you for the complement," said Pai-Mey as she increased her grip on Luffy's hand, "And for your energy."

By now Luffy was panting like he'd just ran a marathon. "What's going on?" he gasped, "What are you doing to me?" "Oh, I'm sorry," said Pai-Mey in a tone that stated she wasn't the lease bit sorry, "I forgot to mention, my power of energy absorption works 4 times faster on those who had consumed a cursed fruit, so say goodbye to your energy you freak!"

Ten seconds later Luffy collapsed from exhaustion. "No!" exclaimed Nami as she, Sanji and Chopper rushed over to Luffy's fallen form. "He's alive," said Chopper, "barely." "Let's get him out of here," said Sanji as he and Nami carried Luffy away from the battle area.

"That does it!" exclaimed Chopper as he glared at Pai-Mey, "You're going down!" "And just what are you going to do to stop me?" asked Pai-Mey, "What can you do, you little freak?" "I'm not a freak!" raged Chopper as he morphed into an 8-foot tall, muscle filled humanoid deer. "I'm gonna rip you to peaces!" roared Chopper as he charged Pai-Mey.

"How quickly they forget," said Pai-Mey in a bored tone. Just as Chopper was about to run her over, Pai-Mey vanished. She reappeared behind him and grabbed hold of his back with her red arm. It didn't take long for Chopper to have his energy drained, and he shrank back to his smaller form.

"This keeps going from bad to worse," said Cornelia, "I'm going down there." "No you're not!" said Taranee, "She'd absorb your energy in a heartbeat." "So what do you want me to do?" asked Cornelia, "Just hang out up here while our friends get the crap beaten out of them?" "She's asking you to trust our friends," said Caleb, "That's all."

"Come on Will," said Matt, "You have to snap out of it. Whatever you saw in that mirror, you've got to come back to us, we need you." Yet despite of Matt's persistence, Will continued to stare off into space.

To be continued. Next chapter, as Pai-Mey grows stronger, our ninja heroes attempt more and more desperate techniques. See you next time!


	10. Chapter 10: PaiMey's Power pt2

Last time Naruto, Luffy and their respective groups confronted Nerissa and Pai-Mey. After a few minutes of banter, the battle began. Naruto was the first to face Pai-Mey, but was soon defeated, but not killed. Sakura went next, then Shikamaru and Ino. They tried and failed to defeat Pai-Mey. Zolo went next and was soon brought down. It wasn't until Neji failed that Saske figured out that Pai-Mey was absorbing the chakra used against her. Chouji managed to hurt Pai-Mey, but he was soon blasted. Luffy and Chopper were next to fall victim to Pai-Mey's energy draining power. All this time Will was still catatonic, while Matt tried his best to bring her around. On with the show!

Chapter 10: Pai-Mey's Power part 2

"This doesn't look good from where I'm standing," said Cornelia. "That's the understatement of the year," said Irma, "In my humble opinion." "Get it together you two," said Taranee, "Our friends are getting their collective asses kicked, and all you can do is bicker."

"There has to be something we can do," said Nigel, "I just can't stand here and watch." "If you go down there," said Eric, "Pai-Mey will drain you of your energy until there's nothing left." "What we need to do," said Hay Lin, "Is wait for Will to recover. Then we can go help our friends."

Meanwhile outside the gates of The Temple, things were not looking good at all. "What can we do?" asked Sakura, "Every time we attack Pai-Mey, she just absorbs the chakra we use." "I'm working on it," said Saske, "I just need more time to think." "Time is a luxury we don't have I'm afraid," said Shino, "So allow me to purchase that time."

"So," said Pai-Mey as Shino entered the battle area, "Another lamb to the slaughter." "I'm more of a ram than a lamb," said Shino, "And you are in for a world of hurt. There's your supper my pretties! Go get it!" From the sleeves of Shino's jacket emerged thousands upon thousands of small black beetles.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" exclaimed a thoroughly disgusted Taranee, "He just lets those things live on him?" "From what I remember," said Hay Lin, "Those beetles live on him and in him. They're bound to Shino by his chakra. He feeds the beetles some of his energy, they get to fight his battles for him."

The rapidly growing cloud of beetles emerging from Shino's jacket didn't at all disturb back outside Pai-Mey. "Chakra beetles?" mocked Pai-Mey, "Is that what you call a ninja technique? You're even more pathetic than Naruto." Shino said nothing as the hoard of beetles flew towards Pai-Mey. The swarm landed on her body en-mass. Suddenly there was a red flash coming from Pai-Mey's from, and all the beetles fell off of her to the ground, all apparently dead.

"How!" exclaimed a shocked and appalled Shino, "What did you do?" "Nothing much," said Pai-Mey in a tone that sounded like it really was nothing, "I just reversed the polarity of my chakra. Your little pets couldn't handle the reversed energy field, so they died."

"She can do that?" asked a disturbed Nami as Pai-Mey knocked Shino unconscious, "Can she do that?" "It's possible," said Sakura, "In theory, but only if one has total control over their chakra. It's a dangerous process, one that takes up a lot of stamina."

"And without stamina," said Kankuro, "One can't make chakra. I'm going in." "Just what makes you think you're going in ahead of me?" asked Temari. "For starters I'm the oldest," said Kankuro, "At least I think I'm the oldest." With that Kankuro entered the battle area while Hinata and Kiba helped Shino out.

"Just because you've beaten everyone before me," said Kankuro as he set his bandaged wrapped puppet down, "Doesn't mean you're invincible. You're going down!" "Yeah whatever," said Pai-Mey, "I'm bored, so I'll finish you off quickly." She raised her red arm at Kankuro and shot a red energy beam at him. The beam struck Kankuro before he could move, producing a loud explosion.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Cornelia. "He's dead all right," said Caleb. "Don't count him out yet," said Hay Lin, "I think this round is just getting started." "Are you blind or something!" exclaimed Irma, "He just got blasted at point blank range." "I don't think it was Kankuro who got blasted," said Martin, "My little turtledove." "Stop calling me stuff like that!" raged Irma.

Martin was right, for it wasn't Kankuro who got blasted. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, standing right where Kankuro was, was his large puppet. The puppet was exactly the same height as Kankuro, wearing a gray poncho. It had 4 arms and three eyes.

"If that's the puppet," said Usopp, "Where's Kankuro?" "Right were he always was," said Temari, "Look." What appeared to be the bandaged wrapped puppet emerged Kankuro. "I think I get it," said Nami, "Sometime before entering the battle, Kankuro switched placed with his puppet."

"Quite the parlor trick," said Pai-Mey, "Worthy of my appreciation." "If you thought that was cool," said Kankuro as he readied his chakra puppet to attack, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" "Tempting," said Pai-Mey, "But no." Faster than Kankuro could react, Pai-Mey vanished and reappeared behind him. She slammed her red arm into Kankuro's back right behind his heart, producing a howl of agony from him.

"Well he didn't last long," said Irma. "That does it!" exclaimed Nigel, "I'm going down there!" "No you're not," said Taranee in a stern voice, "We're all staying up here where we can help Will if she need it." "I know you too well," said Nigel, "It's pointless to argue with you."

Meanwhile Matt was still trying to reach Will, who was still catatonic from her experience from looking into the mirror. "Please Will," said Matt, "We need you. I need you. Come back to us, please." He closed his eyes and squeezed her hand. A single teardrop fell from his eyes and landed on her hand.

Matt got a surprise when he felt Will's hand squeeze back. He opened his eyes to see her eyes blink. "I think she's coming out of it," said Matt, "Will, if you can here me, blink again." A few second went by, and slowly Will blinked again.

"It had begun," said The Oracle, "Will is beginning to accept what she has seen in the mirror." "And not a moment too soon," said Eric, "Things keep going from worse to even more worse down there."

Back on the battlefield Temari covered her brother's escape from Pai-Mey by use of her giant fan. "Here's an attack that doesn't need chakra!" exclaimed Temari as she swung her fan back and forth, "Ninja art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!". Each swing produced a huge blast of wind, Pai-Mey had to channel her chakra to her feet just to maintain her footing on the ground.

"Need some assistance?" asked Nerissa whom all this time was watching from the sidelines. "I don't need help from you!" exclaimed Pai-Mey, "I need no one!" "That's your weakness," shouted Temari as she increased the strength of her fan swings, "A Shinobi works best in a team. My siblings and I are strongest together, just as Naruto, Saske and Sakura are strongest when they work together. The same goes with the others, and with every ninja. You whom have spent her entire life alone would never understand this."

By now the winds Temari was creating were so powerful, so strong, they were producing small cuts on Pai-Mey. "Be as that may," said Pai-Mey, "I'm still better than any team of Shinobi!" "How so?" asked Temari, "oh, and in case you're wondering, I can keep this up all day!" "I wasn't," said Pai-Mey as she raised her red arm above her head, "What makes me better than you is that I have complete control over my chakra, both internally and on the energy I expel by my Behelit arm!"

With that she shot an energy beam from her arm. The beam shot up and over the battle area, arcing down to Temari. She stopped swinging her fan and tried to dodge the beam. It struck her a glancing blow, but it was enough to do considerable damage.

"I don't know how much more this can go on," said Caleb, "Our friends are dropping like flies." "They won't have much longer to hold them off," said Matt, "I think Will's coming out of it. She's looking at me now!" Indeed Will's eyes were on Matt. "Can she walk?" asked Irma. "I don't think so," said Matt. "Then she still can't help," said Taranee, "We still have to wait."

"This can't go on," said Caleb in a strained tone as he looked towards The Oracle, "Oracle," said Caleb, "Isn't there something you can do to help Will recover?" "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do," said The Oracle, "This is Will's test."

"But you're The Oracle!" exclaimed Matt, "There must be something you can do to help!" "Believe me I want to help her," said The Oracle, "But no magic in all of existence can help Will. She must do this on her own." "Well that's just great!" exclaimed Cornelia, "That's just damn great!"

"But what's the point of magic if it can't use it to help someone you care about?" asked Irma. "That," said The Oracle as he looked at Jaden, "Is what heroes are for." It was as if something clicked on in Jaden's mind, for a look of clarity dawned on his face. "Of course," said Jaden, "Of course, that's exactly what heroes are for, or in my case, Elemental Heroes!" "What are you talking about?" asked Irma.

"I think I know what's going on in his head," said Cornelia, "You're planning to Duel either Pai-Mey or Nerissa." "I don't know what I'm going to do against Pai-Mey," said Jaden, "But if I can get Nerissa to accept a challenge, and if she'll wager the crystal in a Shadow Game, I believe I can win it back." Jaden then turned to head back inside Temple to head downstairs.

He was back in less than a minute. "Um," he said with a nervous grin on his face, "How do I get out of here?" Everyone sighed in annoyance. "I'll show you how to get downstairs and outside," said Hay Lin. "I'll come with you," said Eric. "I'll come as well," said Caleb, "I want a closer look of the fight." "Where you go," said Cornelia, "I go."

"We're getting our collective assess kicked," said Kiba to Saske, "And you're just standing there." "I'm trying to think," said Saske, "If you want to get the life drained from you, go right ahead and attack." "I like my life energy where it is," said Kiba, "So what's the plan?" "I maybe stating the obvious," said Hinata, "But we need to immobilize that red arm of hers. She can't drain our chakra if she can't move it."

"If you can keep her in one spot for a few seconds," said Usopp as he rummaged in his trusty side bag, "I can hit her with this," in one hand was his trusty slingshot; in the other was a large red marble with a black stripe on it, "This little gem explodes on impact," said Usopp, "But I only have one, so you'd better make sure Pai-Mey won't move when I'm aiming."

"What are you children whispering about?" asked Pai-Mey from across the battle area. "Nothing that concerns you traitor!" exclaimed Kiba, "So just sit and spin!" "We don't have much time to talk," said Saske, "So how do we keep her from moving so Usopp can do his thing?" "Leave that to me," said Garra, "I'll immobilize Pai-Mey, you just distract her so I can get into position."

"Agreed," said Saske. "Just one thing," said Garra, "Don't let her kill you before I'm ready to act. The honor of taking your life belongs to me." "You don't have to remind me," said Saske as he entered the battle area. "I was hoping I'd get to fight you," said Pai-Mey, "The last true scion of the Uciha clan. I think I'll devour your heart."

"My heart belongs to another," said Saske as he formed his hand signs, "And you'll never hurt anyone else after I'm done with you!" "Bring it on boy!" exclaimed Pai-Mey, "I'll take anything you can throw at me!" "Then take this!" exclaimed Saske, "Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Bringing his thumb and forefinger to his lips, Saske spat six fireballs at Pai-Mey.

She easily dodged the first three, but the last ones caught her glancing blows, setting her clothing on fire somewhat. "He can spit fire?" asked an amazed and jealous sounding Taranee, "Now why can't I do that?" "You don't need to spit fire," said Nigel, "You're hot enough as it is." "I still wish I could," said Taranee, "It'd be so cool."

Meanwhile Saske was alternating between fireballs and flamethrower blasts, giving Pai-Mey a run for her money. "You can't keep this up forever!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she barely dodged a flamethrower blast, "I may not be able to get close enough to drain your chakra, but you'll run out of it soon enough, then you shall die!"

"I disagree," said Garra as he uncorked his gourd, sending his chakra-controlled sand at Pai-Mey, "The honor of killing Saske belongs to me and me alone." Before Pai-Mey could react, the sand had a complete hold on her, trapping Pai-Mey in a literal sand coffin. "Do it now Usopp!" exclaimed Nami as Usopp took aim with his slingshot.

"You're a fool to think a little bit of sand can stop me!" exclaimed Pai-Mey just as she broke free of the sand coffin. "There goes my clear shot," said Usopp, "But I think I can still make it." "Save your ammo," said Zolo, "You only have the one shot."

"I remember you somewhat," said Pai-Mey as she walked in a circle around Garra, "I thought my improved Naz'riak had eliminated you with nightshade poison." "What doesn't kill me," said Garra, "Makes me the stronger." "I sense much darkness in your heart," said Pai-Mey, "Tell me, why are you working with these pathetic fools?" "I have my reasons," said Garra, "Reasons that are none of your business."

"The reason why I'm asking," said Pai-Mey, "Is that I believe you and I are quite alike. I sense there's much blood on your hands, that you're a natural born killer, like me." "What's your point?" asked Garra. "Join me, Garra of the Sands," said Pai-Mey, "Join the side of The God Hand while you have the chance to do so. With my influence I can find a place of power for you in the coming chaos. They'll be entire universes full of people for you to kill, just agree to obey and worship The God Hand, and your greatest desires shall be fulfilled."

"I admit," said Garra, "Your offer is tempting, but I serve no one but myself." "Don't be so hasty to say no," said Pai-Mey, "Think it over." "I have been thinking," said Garra, "And I've come to the conclusion that we're not as alike as you say we are. It is true that killing come naturally to the two of us, that be both have homicidal fantasies, but that's were the similarities end. You chose the path of a killer; you chose to act on your fantasies. I was never given the chance to choose, I was forced onto the path of a killer. You kill because it pleases you to kill. I kill because it's who I am. I kill: there for I am. And as long as there are people to kill I shall continue to do so, for that is my Shinobi path."

"Then you leave me with no choice," said Pai-Mey as she pointed her red arm at Garra, "My mission is to destroy The Temple of Candracar and plunge all of reality into chaos, and anyone standing in my way shall be slain. Die!"

The red energy beam shot from her hand and raced towards Garra. Garra deployed his sand shield at the last second, but it did nothing to stop the blast. The beam impacted him and sent him skidding several feet. He fell to the ground from the force of the blast "That beam went through his sand shield like it was tissue paper," said a shaken Temari, "If Garra didn't have his sand armor, he'd be dead."

Pai-Mey then strode over to the still form of Garra, who wasn't in really good condition. His sand armor had fallen off in huge chunks. "It's a shame you must die," said Pai-Mey, "You have so much potential." "If you're going to kill me," said Garra in a whisper, "Stop talking about it and get it over with."

"You're not dead yet Garra," said Rock Lee as he entered the battle area, "And I won't let you die until our rematch. Pai-Mey Matoya, I am now your opponent."

The end of chapter 10. Next chapter, its Rock Lee vs. Pai-Mey. See you next time!


	11. Chapter 11: The Tide Turns

Last time the battle against Pai-Mey continued. Taranee and the others watched helplessly as more ninjas fought and failed to stop Pai-Mey. First Shino failed; then Kankuro; followed by Temari. Meanwhile Will began to come out of her funk, but it looked to be a slow process. Then Jaden had a moment of clarity; he decided to go down and duel Nerissa for The Heart of Candracar. Back at the battle, Saske managed to do some damage. Then Garra tried to restrain Pai-Mey while Usopp aimed an exploding marble at her. Pai-Mey broke free of Garra's restraints and blasted him. Now it is Rock Lee's turn. Can he defeat Pai-Mey when so many have failed? On with the show!

Chapter 11: The Tide Turns

Pai-Mey then strode over to the still form of Garra, who wasn't in really good condition. His sand armor had fallen off in huge chunks. "It's a shame you must die," said Pai-Mey, "You have so much potential." "If you're going to kill me," said Garra in a whisper, "Don't talk about it and get it over with."

"You're not dead yet Garra," said Rock Lee as he entered the battle area, "And I won't let you die until our rematch. Pai-Mey Matoya, I am now your opponent." "Oh really?" said Pai-Mey as she turned her back on Garra so to look at Rock Lee. Garra took advantage of this by crawling out of the battle zone. "What makes you think you can stop me when everyone before you has failed to do so?" asked Pai-Mey.

"It's simple really," said Rock Lee, "I have a unique condition that's extremely rare among Shinobi; I was born without the ability to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. Most would say this is a sever disadvantage to one who wishes to become a ninja. I saw it as a challenge."

Just then Hay Lin, along with Eric, Cornelia, Caleb and Jaden had arrived outside The Temple and had reached the sidelines of the battle zone. "What brings you down here?" asked Sakura. "Jaden says he knows how to defeat Nerissa," said Cornelia, "Or at least how to win back the crystal from her."

"What about down here?" asked Caleb, "What's going on with the battle?" "It's not good for one thing," said Naruto, "Believe it!" "Everyone who's faced Pai-Mey has either had his or her energy drained," said Sakura, "Or was blasted by that red arm of hers." "And now it's Rock Lee's turn," said Saske. "Lee," said Hay Lin, "Be careful."

"When I was young," said Rock Lee, "When I was training to earn the level of Genin, everyone told me that I was a hopeless case, that I could never be a ninja. How could I be one? I was born without the ability to channel stamina into chakra, and without chakra I couldn't use genjutsu or ninjutsu. Yet I was determined to be a splendid ninja, and if I could use only taijutsu, then I vowed to be a taijutsu master."

"So my little power of absorbing chakra won't work on you," said Pai-Mey, "So what? You still can't defeat me." "I can defeat you," said Rock Lee, "Because even if I'm not a taijutsu master yet, what I am is a genius of hard work. Since the day I made my vow I've been pushing my body to the limit of endurance and beyond, dedicating each day to the mastery of martial arts. I still have much to learn, but I believe that I know enough to stop you."

"Don't make me laugh boy!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she giggled somewhat, "No level of martial arts is strong enough to defeat the power given to me by The God Hand." "I sincerely doubt The God Hand has foreseen you facing one who is three quarters of the way to mastering the Eight Inner Gate Formation," said Rock Lee.

"Oh man," said Naruto, "He's going to do it." "Do what?" asked Hay Lin. "Let me explain," said Sakura, "You already know that the human body has an energy network in which chakra flows. Within that network lie eight convergence points or gates. These gates regulate the flow of chakra throughout the body. If one were to open one or more of these gates he or she would have access to power they wouldn't have had before."

"So Rock Lee knows how to open these chakra gates," said Caleb, "And he can increase his strength because of it." "That and more," said Saske, "With each gate opened, Rock Lees' strength, his speed and agility shall increase. This taijutsu technique is called The Lotus. Yet The Lotus is a preverbal double edge sword; the more Rock Lee uses this power, the more gates he can open, the more stress he puts on his body."

"I think you're a liar," said Pai-Mey to Rock Lee, "No one can open six chakra gates. The most I've ever heard of anyone opening was three." "Then you are severally out of date," said Rock Lee, "For I've spent the last three years training harder than ever. My body has been conditioned to handle the strain of fighting with six gates open. And today I open the seventh gate for the first time."

"He's even crazier than Garra," said Shikamaru, "And that's saying something." "Is it possible?" asked Sakura, "Can he really have the physical strength and constitution to handle the seventh gate?" "We're about to find out," said Saske, "You can count on that."

"What happens if he opens all eight gates?" asked Hay Lin. "If he manages to open the eighth gate," said Neji, "Then Rock Lee would have achieved a power greater than that of a Hokage. But such power doesn't come without a price. If he were to open all eight gates today, something I'm afraid he'll never be ready for; the stress on his body will be lethal. Death would be inevitable. I fear that just seven gates would cripple him for life." "You're wrong Neji," said Naruto, "Rock Lee wouldn't use The Lotus unless he knew what he was doing. He'll come out on top and in one piece, believe it!"

"I think you're bluffing," said Pai-Mey to Rock Lee, "You wouldn't risk your life for such a dangerous technique." "You're wrong traitor," said Rock Lee as he removed two weight belts from beneath his leggings, "And today you answer for your crimes, because the weights are coming off!" Holding out the weights at arms length, Rock Lee released them from his hands. They fell to the ground with the sound of something extremely heavy falling.

"How heavy are those things?" asked Caleb. "The last time I checked," said Tenten, "He had over 250 lbs on each leg." "You mean he's been walking around with at least 500 lbs on his legs?" asked Cornelia, "And he doesn't even sweat?" "He truly is a splendid ninja," said an amazed Hay Lin. "You can say that again," said Luffy.

"I don't care how much weight you've been carrying around," said Pai-Mey, "I'll still kill you." "Not likely," said Rock Lee as he unraveled the bandaged on his arms until there was at least eight feet of lose bandage trailing from his arms, "Now, The First Gate: Gate of Opening, Release!" "Did you feel that?" asked Nigel to Taranee. "I sensed it," said Taranee, "It's like Rock Lee just got a huge power boost. And I don't think he's done yet."

"The Second Gate: Gate of Rest," said Rock Lee, "Release!" "The first two gates," said Saske, "Are located in the brain. Gate one frees Lee from mental inhibitions, while the second one increases his strength. By now Rock Lee's overall strength has nearly doubled. And he's far from finished."

"The Third Gate: Gate of Life," said Rock Lee, "Release!" At that time Rock Lee's hair was standing up as if by static electricity and his skin began to turn red. "What's happening to him?" asked Hay Lin. "This I'm not really sure," said Sakura, "We think it's a side effect of opening the gates." "Gates three though seven," said Shikamaru, "Are located on the body's central axis. Number three is just above the heart, while number four is below and to the heart, with five, six and seven continuing down. Gate number eight is in the heart."

By now the very air began to resonate from the power radiating from Rock Lee as he exclaimed, "The Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain, Release!" "Incredible," said an awed Eric, "Who knew the human body had that much power locked inside it." "It gets better," said Sakura, "If you think it's incredible now, you ain't seen nothing yet."

"This shouldn't go on any further," said Nerissa, "Pai-Mey, kill him before he reaches his full power!" "She won't strike yet Nerissa," said Rock Lee, "Because Pai-Mey, like any other ninja, is curious on just how far I can take it. You're about to find out. The Fifth Gate: Gate of Closing, Release!"

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Nigel, "His power, it's out of this world!" "I'm starting to feel it as well," said Irma, "How can he handle it?" "I don't know," said Martin, "He must have conditioned his body to compensate for the ever increasing stress. But how much further can he go?"

"This is as far as he got at the Chûnin exam three years ago," said Sakura, "His fight against Garra nearly killed him. The doctors said that he was crippled from the stress Lee put on his body, added by the wounds inflicted on Garra." ""After our battle," said Garra, "He should have never been able to walk again, let alone fight. But his injuries healed, he became stronger, more able to handle the stress of having the gates open for prolonged periods. When this is over, I hope to have the honor of fighting Rock Lee again."

"Hay Lin," said Neji, "It was only after he returned from helping you and your friends that he was able to open the sixth gate. He said that it was because of meeting you that he was able to breach the barrier that has vexed him for so long. He said that you are his inspiration." "Wow," said Hay Lin, "I didn't know I made such an impact."

_'I dedicate the opening of the seventh gate to you Miss Hay Lin,'_ thought Rock Lee, _'you are my muse. And today, just knowing that you're watching me has allowed me to breach this barrier in my goal to becoming a taijutsu master. But first…'_ "The Sixth Gate: Gate of Joy, Release!"

The very air around Rock Lee was crackling and distorted by the amount of energy being produced by him. "Don't just stand there, Pai-Mey!" exclaimed Nerissa, "Kill him while he's still powering up!" "Shut your trap!" snapped Nerissa, "He was right, I am curious about how far he can go."

"You're about to witness firsthand just how far I can go," said Rock Lee, "The Seventh Gate: Gate of Shock, Release!" There was a loud Bang! As Rock Lee's energy output increased to even greater amounts.

"This is beyond incredible," said Cornelia, "It's like he's a Super Sayin or something." "I'd say Rock Lee is a match for Max Kildare," said Caleb, "Maybe even stronger."

"Now I am ready," said Rock Lee, "You are finished Pai-Mey Matoya, your day of reckoning has arrived!" Before anyone could even blink, Rock Lee had vanished, only to reappear behind Pai-Mey. He delivered a kick to her back that sent her hurtling forward; she didn't even know he was there until it was too late.

After traveling about ten feet, Rock Lee appeared again and kicked upwards, sending Pai-Mey zooming into the sky. To everyone else Rock Lee's movements seemed less than a blur.

Pai-Mey had reached a height of about 100 yards when Rock Lee appeared behind her yet again. This time he grabbed her by the waist, his bandages wrapping around her until they had her restrained like a mummy. Lee and Pai-Mey began to spin like a corkscrew as they began to fall back down. Faster and faster they spun, while their rate of descent increased as well.

The two crashed onto the ground with the force of a small atomic bomb, or at least that was what it felt to Hay Lin and the others as they felt the shock of the impact. "Good God!" exclaimed Eric, "How can anyone survive that?" "I don't know about Pai-Mey," said Naruto, "But Lee looks to be alright."

Emerging form the dust cloud of the impact limped Rock Lee. Hay Lin rushed forward to him. He smiled and collapsed into her arms. "I did it Hay Lin," said Rock Lee, "I opened the seventh gate. I couldn't have done it without you." "Glad I could have helped," said Hay Lin.

Meanwhile Garra was glaring at Rock Lee with a look mixed with shock, fear and hate. "What's your problem?" asked Chouji. "Don't try to talk to him when he's like this," said Kankuro, "He might just kill you out of spite." "You want to know what my problem is?" asked Garra. "Well, yes," answered Chouji rather reluctantly.

"It's him," said Garra as he pointed at Rock Lee, his hand shaking with his rage, "He's stronger than I am. When we fought three years ago I barely survived, and he could only open five gates than. Now that he can open seven, I'm no match for him, he's stronger than anyone of us."

"You can worry about that later," said Ino, "The point is Lee won! Pai-Mey Matoya is defeated!" "I hate to burst your bubble Ino," said Shino, "But it's not over yet." The dust from the impact had cleared, and emerging from the impact crater was a badly cut and bruised Pai-Mey.

"I must admit," said Pai-Mey as she limped towards Rock Lee and Hay Lin, "I underestimated you. I didn't believe anyone could open seven chakra gates and still be conscious. You have my utmost respect, I shall grant you a proper death worthy of a true ninja." "If you want to kill Lee," said Hay Lin as she stood between Rock Lee and Pai-Mey, "You'll have to kill me first."

"Stand aside Air Guardian," said Pai-Mey as she aimed her red arm at Hay Lin, "I have no desire to kill you just yet." "Why the wait?" asked Hay Lin, "Why not kill me now and save yourself the trouble later?" "Because you, the Earth Guardian, the Fire Guardian and the Water Guardian," said Pai-Mey, "Are to be sacrificed to The God Hand. However, if you don't move, I'm sure my masters won't be disappointed in one less sacrifice."

"You're not sacrificing anyone!" exclaimed Usopp as he aimed and released his slingshot. The marble impacted and exploded right on Pai-Mey's face. "Good shot Usopp," said Luffy. "Thanks," said Usopp in a rather smug tone, "I could have made that shot with both eyes tied behind my back." Nami was about to retort but she was stopped by Sanji, "Let him gloat," he said, "He deserves it for once."

As Pai-Mey clutched at her burned face, Tenten launched handful after handful of shuriken and kuni at Pai-Mey, each edged weapon imbedding itself in her body. "Unbelievable," said Shikamaru, "Tenten must have thrown at least thirty kuni and forty shuriken. Yet Pai-Mey is still standing."

"You think this is funny!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she began to pull out the many blades stuck in her, "You think you can humiliate me!" "I think we'd better end this," said Kiba, "And I know just how to, you ready Akamaru?" Kiba's barked in agreement as Kiba removed from his pocket two red pills.

"What are those?" asked Caleb. "These allow Akamaru and I to fight on a higher level," said Kiba s he tossed one pill at Akamaru, whom caught and swallowed it. Kiba swallowed the other. Within seconds raw energy began to surge through Kiba's body. Akamaru was also surging with energy as his fur turned red.

"Now Akamaru!" exclaimed Kiba, "Beast Human Clone Jutsu!" Before Cornelia's eyes Akamaru transformed into an exact replica of Kiba. "Cool!" exclaimed Eric. "More than cool," said Caleb. "Mind if I get my kicks in first?" asked Sanji. "Sure," said Kiba as Akamaru climbed onto his back, "Knock your self out."

"You think you can get away with laughing at me?" asked Pai-Mey to no one in particular as she pulled out the last of the kuni, "I won't be denied my place with The God Hand! I won't be humiliated!" "Nobody's laughing at you," said Nerissa, "And you shouldn't lower your defenses at any time."

"What are you talking about?" asked Pai-Mey just before noticing that Sanji was standing less than a yard from her. "Bar-b-q rib buster!" exclaimed Sanji as he kicked Pai-Mey in the torso. She gasped for air as Sanji maneuvered behind her, "Shish kabob back smash!" exclaimed Sanji as he delivered a kick to her back.

She fell to the ground. "Why is the ground shaking?" Pai-Mey asked out loud as she began to get up, "Why does the ground shake so?" "It's called shell shock," said Kiba as both he and Akamaru prepared to attack, "And this is a cue-de-gra! Double Wolf Fang!"

Both Kiba's charged and struck Pai-Mey in a whirlwind of claws, kicks and punches. By the time both Kiba's were done, Pai-Mey had collapsed to the ground and wasn't moving. One of the Kiba's reverted back into Akamaru. "Good going boy," said the real Kiba, "We did it."

Naruto was the first to reach the still form of Pai-Mey while the others gathered around her. "Is she dead?" asked Ino. "She's still breathing," said Zolo. "It's a shame," said Naruto, "All that power and it got her nowhere." "Then kill me," gasped Pai-Mey, "Stop wasting my time and get it over with." "No," said Saske, "We're not going to kill you, that is a matter for the authorities back home, so we're taking you back to Konohamaru. Pai-Mey Matoya, you're under arrest."

"I think it's time I stepped in," said Nerissa, "We still need to destroy The Temple, and it wouldn't look good to The God Hand if their favorite servant didn't come back." "Great," said Shikamaru, "I forgot about that one." "What do we do?" asked Ino, "We're not exactly in the best condition for any further fighting." "Leave Nerissa to me," said Jaden, "I know what I have to do."

The end of chapter 11. Next chapter Jaden challenges Nerissa for The Heart of Candracar. See you next time!


	12. Chapter 12: The Challenge

Last time Hay Lin watched as Rock Lee powered up and fought Pai-Mey. Lee managed to severely damage Pai-Mey, but it wasn't enough. But with the combined efforts of Usopp, Tenten, Sanji, Kiba and Akamaru, Pai-Mey was finally defeated. Yet it wasn't over when Nerissa deiced to step in. Now it is up to Jaden, but what is he going to do? On with the show!

Chapter 12: The Challenge

"Leave Nerissa to me," said Jaden, "I know what I have to do." "You're crazy," said Hay Lin, "You can't face Nerissa alone, she'll swat you like a fly." "Not if I play my cards right," said Jaden, "So to speak."

"What is he doing?" asked Naruto as Jaden entered the battle area across from Nerissa. "I think he's trying to get the crystal back from Nerissa," said Cornelia, "Or at least that's what I believe he's doing."

"How's Will doing?" asked Sakura. "Last time I checked," said Caleb, "She's just starting to come out of whatever happened to her." "Well that's something," said Luffy. "But how much longer before she's fully back to normal?" asked Saske, "That's what I want to know." "I don't know how much longer she needs," said Cornelia, "All we can do is trust Jaden and hope for the best."

Jaden had stopped about ten paces away from Nerissa. "So," said Nerissa, "This is who Will sent to defend her, a brainless, card game obsessed idiot; how pathetic." "I'm not brainless," said Jaden, "And I'm no idiot. I just get confused sometimes. But I am nuts over Duel Monsters. Speaking of which, I've got a proposition for you, Nerissa."

"What sort of proposition do you have in mind that I'd be interested in?" asked Nerissa. "The two of us are going to play a game," said Jaden, "If I win, you have to give back to Will The Heart of Candracar." "And if I win this game," said Nerissa, "Assuming I decide to play it instead of blasting you into oblivion, what would I receive?"

"If you win," said Jaden, "You can have my Osiris Pendant," he held out the round object around his neck, "I figured that you might be interested in it. You can check out its power, and I mean look, but don't take."

Nerissa walked over to Jaden and examined the pendant. "Yes," said Nerissa after a long look at the pendant, "Yes, this object holds ancient and powerful magic. Wherever did you come about possessing it?" "It was in two pieces," said Jaden, "And I won both halves in two separate Duels. You can have the whole thing, if you defeat me in a Duel. I guess you already know who to play Duel Monsters?"

"I am familiar with the game and it's rules," said Nerissa, "Though I haven't had much time to play recently." "Oh for crying out loud!" exclaimed a handcuffed Pai-Mey from the sidelines, "Don't waste any more time on this dipstick! Just kill him and take the damn thing already!" "Shut up you!" yelled Shikamaru as he slapped Pai-Mey across the face.

"Oh she can kill me and take the pendant," said Jaden, "she wouldn't be able to use it." "He's right," said Nerissa, "If I were to kill this boy in cold blood, the magic of the pendant would be lost to me forever. There are only two ways I can have the Osiris Pendant and use it; if Jaden were to give it to me willingly, or if I were to win it in a Shadow Game."

"And since I'll never give it to you willingly," said Jaden, "You're just going to have to Duel me." "Don't waste any more time on this," said Pai-Mey, "Destroy The Temple, then you can have your stupid little game." "I said shut your mouth bitch!" exclaimed Shikamaru as he slapped Pai-Mey again.

"Let her talk," said Nerissa, "She needs to understand where I'm coming from here. You see Pai-Mey, I want that pendant, and I always get what I want; one way or another. Besides, you got to waste time with your ninja friends."

"That was a personal matter," said Pai-Mey, "Our agreement stated that I could destroy any ninja or pirate that stood in my way to destroying Candracar. There was nothing in the agreement that said you could waste time on a stupid children's game." "Well I'm altering our little bargain," said Nerissa, "So that I can spend time playing any game I desire. For your sake, pray that I don't alter the bargain again." "This deal is getting worse all the time," muttered Pai-Mey.

"So let me get this straight so there's no confusion," said Nerissa, "If I win this Shadow Game, you'll willingly give me your Osiris Pendant." "Yes," said Jaden, "And if I win, you'll give back to Will her crystal. Fair deal?" "Yes," said Nerissa, "A very fair deal." "Then get your game on!" exclaimed Jaden as he pulled out from his knapsack his Duel Disk, "'Cause we're Dueling!"

The end of chapter 12. Next time, it's Jaden vs. Nerissa in an all out Duel to the finish. Plus, Will finally comes out of her funk. See you next time!


	13. Chapter 13: The Duel pt1

Last time Jaden challenged Nerissa to a Shadow Game. Jaden wagered his pendant, while Nerissa put up The Heart of Candracar. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

Chapter 13: The Duel part 1

"So let me get this straight so there's no confusion," said Nerissa, "If I win this Shadow Game, you'll willingly give me your Osiris Pendant." "Yes," said Jaden, "And if I win, you'll give back to Will her crystal. Fair deal?" "Yes," said Nerissa, "A very fair deal." "Then get your game on!" exclaimed Jaden as he pulled out from his knapsack his Duel Disk, "'Cause we're Dueling!"

"Indeed," said Nerissa as a black, round Duel Disk appeared on her left arm. "That Duel Disk is of the Orichalcos design," said Cornelia, "But I thought they were all destroyed when Yugi Moto defeated Dartz." "That's what I was told," said Jaden as he attached his Duel Disk to his left arm.

"They were all destroyed with the defeat of Dartz," said Nerissa, "This device is one of my own creation, as well as my deck." In her right hand was a card deck of about 50 cards, "Just to let you know," said Nerissa, "I have the power to manifest my cards into the real world. I only need this machine to hold my cards in place and to keep track of my life points, not that I plan on losing any."

Jaden already had his deck out, "Oh you'll lose plenty of life points," he said, "I guarantee it." "I believe the custom at this time is to shuffle each other's deck," said Nerissa. "It is," said Jaden as she handed his deck to Nerissa, while she handed hers to him. "Feel free to look at my cards," said Nerissa as she shuffled Jaden's deck, "It shall give you a taste of your defeat."

"No thanks," said Jaden as he shuffled Nerissa's deck without looking at the faces of the cards, "I prefer to be surprised," he then handed the deck back to Nerissa. "I see that you are someone who enjoys a fair game," said Nerissa as she handed Jaden's deck back to him, "In that case I feel obligated to play fair as well."

"Fine with me," said Jaden as he inserted his deck into his Duel Disk, "I hope you don't mind if we use Duel Academe rules for this game." "Not at all," said Nerissa as she inserted her deck into her Duel Disk, "Then let us begin." She activated her Duel Disk, the card holding compartments extending outward like a scythe. Jaden activated his Duel Disk, the card holding compartments extending outward and unfolding in opposite directions. With that, they both exclaimed, "DUEL!"

Jaden's life points: 4000

Nerissa's life points: 4000

"Since you chose the rules of this game," said Nerissa as she drew five cards for her hand, "It is only fair that the first turn goes to me." "I'm cool with that," said Jaden as he drew his hand, "After all, 'ladies first.'" "Chivalry shall get you nowhere fast," said Nerissa as she drew a card, "Now, I'll start by playing three facedown cards," she inserted three cards into the Spell/Trap card compartments, and three holograms of facedown cards appeared on the field, "Then I'll summon a monster in attack mode, a monster the likes you have never seen before, behold!"

She placed a card face up on the center monster card zone of her Duel Disk. Indeed the image appearing on the field was of a monster he'd never seen before. It was as if someone spliced the DNA of a dog with that of a Komodo dragon. The monster had three fish-like eyes, six claws at each paw, rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and was covered in slimy green scales.

"Meet Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection," said Nerissa, "A creation of my own." "Can she do that?" asked Caleb, "Can she use cards of her own design?" "If the Duel Disk recognizes the card as useable," said Martin who was standing right behind Caleb, "Then it can be used in a Duel." "What brings you down here?" asked Ino.

"He wanted to watch the Duel up close," said Irma, "And he dragged me along." "What about Will?" asked Sakura, "Who's with her?" "Taranee and Nigel are still up in The Temple," said Irma, "And Matt won't leave her side."

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attribute: Darkness

Type: Beast/Effect

Level: 4

Attack: 2000

Defense: 100

"That's all for now," said Nerissa, "So take your turn, if you dare." "Oh I dare alright," said Jaden as he drew his card, "Sweet monster by the way. I'll start my turn by throwing down a facedown," he placed a card in a spell/trap card holder and a holographic image of a facedown card appeared on his side of the field, "Then, I'll use the spell card Polymerization to fuse Elemental Hero Avian with Elemental Hero Burstinatrix that are in my hand, to form Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

The image of Jaden's two fusion monsters briefly appeared on the field before being replaced by his new monster a green and red warrior with one white wing. Its right arm was in the shape of a red dragon, and it also had a long serpentine tail.

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman

Attribute: Wind

Type Warrior/Fusion/Effect

Level: 6

Attack: 2100

Defense: 1200

"Since we're using Duel Academe rules," said Jaden, "Fusion monsters can attack on the same turn they're summoned. Okay Flame Wingman, attack Nerissa's Hound of Resurrection!" The dragon like arm of Flame Wingman opened its mouth and shot a large blast of fire at Nerissa's monster, reducing it to a pile of ashes. Nerissa winced from the force of the attack while her Life Points decreased.

Nerissa's Life Points: 3900

"Here's where Flame Wingman's special effect kicks in," said Jaden, "Whenever Flame Wingman destroys a monster in battle, my opponent loses Life Points equal to the destroyed monster's attack points!" "Oh damn!" exclaimed Nerissa as her Life Points decreased again.

Nerissa's Life Points: 1900

"Awesome!" said Martin, "The Duel just got started, and already Nerissa had lost over half her Life Points. Jaden should have this wrapped up in no time!" "As much as I'd like to agree with you on that," said Irma, "You shouldn't underestimate Nerissa. It'll take more that that to stop her." "I have to agree with you on that," said Cornelia, "Nerissa has something planned, but I don't know what."

"Not bad," said Nerissa, "You're not as weak as I assumed you to be. Now I believe it is my turn. Because my Hound was sent to the card Graveyard due to battle," she said as she drew her card, "I can activate its special effect. All I need to do is send once card from my hand to the Graveyard," she sent a random card to the discard compartment on her Duel Disk, "And Samiel returns from the Graveyard to the field," she removed her card from the Graveyard and placed it back on her Duel Disk, and the image of Nerissa's monster returned to the field.

"But wait," said Nerissa, "There's more. Because I brought my monster back from the Graveyard, I can activate this Continuous Trap card," she pressed a button on her Duel Disk which activated her trap, "Behold; Gift of Resurrection!" The image of her activated Trap card showed several figures placing flowers on a gravestone.

"What does that do?" asked Luffy. "I don't know," said Cornelia, "I've never seen or heard of that card before." "Confused?" asked Nerissa, "Let me explain how my trap works: Whenever I bring back from the Graveyard a monster card that has the word Resurrection in its name, said monster gains 500 attack points when it returns to the field in attack mode. And since my Hound of Resurrection has returned from the grave in attack mode, its attack points increase!"

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attack: 2500

"Now my pet!" exclaimed Nerissa, "Destroy Jaden's Flame Wingman!" Nerissa's monster charged across the field and slashed at Flame Wingman, destroying it with one swipe of its claws. Jaden winced from the force of the attack while his Life Points decreased.

Jaden's Life Points: 3600

"Now that you've lost a monster," said Nerissa, "I can activate my second Continuous Trap card," she activated her second trap, "Behold, Curse of Resurrection!" The card image showed a cracked gravestone with a black rose thrust into it.

"Another one that I've never heard of," said Cornelia, "And I have over 4,500 in my closet back home." "That many huh?" asked Martin, "I've got about 4,200 in my room. Tell me, do you happen to have Dark Magician?" "I have four Dark Magician cards," said Cornelia, "Two regular, one holofoil and one that has the picture printed backwards by mistake." "Oh I'll trade you for that one when we get home!" exclaimed Martin. "I wouldn't trade that card even if you had all four Blue Eyes White Dragon cards!" said Cornelia, "And that's saying something."

"If you're quite finished talking," said Nerissa, "I'll explain how my second Trap works: If I have a monster on my side of the field with the word Resurrection in its name, and said monster destroys an opponent's monster, my opponent takes 1000 damage points to his or her Life Points, how do you like that!"

"I don't like it at all," said Jaden as his Life points decreased again.

Jaden's Life Points: 2600

"But still," said Jaden, "That's some combination you've got going here. You'd be a great Duelist if you weren't always trying to take over the world." "Flattery still won't get you anywhere fast," said Nerissa, "And before I end my turn, I activate my third Continuous Trap card," she pressed the button to activate her card, "Behold, Resurrection Upheaval!" The image of her Trap card showed a gravestone being lifted up with a pulley system.

"Here's how it works," said Nerissa, "Whenever a monster on my side of the field with the word Resurrection in its name destroys an opponent's monster, my monster gains 500 attack points.

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attack: 3000

"That's three Continuous traps in one turn," said Martin, "She's got to be cheating somehow!" "I didn't see her pull anything out from up her sleeves," said Saske, "And we all saw Jaden shuffle her deck." "Maybe she switched decks when we weren't looking," said Nami, "It's what I would do."

"Well wither or not Nerissa is using a stacked deck," said Cornelia, "Or if its just plain dumb luck, one thing's certain, Jaden is in a lot of trouble." "What can we do?" asked Eric. "I don't think there's anything we can do," said Hay Lin, "This is a Shadow Game. And from what my Grandma told about Shadow Games, we can't interfere once one has started. The only thing we can do is watch and hope that Jaden can turn the tables around, and hope that Will snaps out of her funk in time."

"I can't see much from up here," said Nigel, "But it doesn't look good for Jaden." "You're right," said Taranee, "I don't know much about Duel Monsters, but Jaden looks to be in a bind."

"Jaden," said Will softly, "What's that about Jaden?" "Will!" exclaimed Matt, "You spoke!" "Not so loud," said Will as she winced from Matt's yelling in her ear, "I'm not deaf." She slowly stood up, blinked and shook her head as if to clear it. "Are you alright?" asked Taranee, "You had us worried."

"I feel fine," said Will in a calm and collected tone, "How long was I out?" "Almost 45 minutes," said Matt, "Or at least 45 minutes if we were back on Earth, I don't think my watch works here."

"Your assumption was correct Matt," said The Oracle, "Will, you were in a trance for almost thee quarters of an hour." "It seemed longer," said Will, "Much longer." "Well don't keep us in suspense," said Taranee anxiously, "What did you see when you looked into the mirror?"

"I saw what The Oracle said I'd see," said Will, "I saw every negative action I've ever done in my life, every lie, every time I acted in anger, every rudeness. I admit I can be a real jerk sometimes, especially to my mom when I found out she was dating Mr. Collins. But more importantly, I know what The Stranger meant by 'facing myself.' I had to face my dark side."

"What did your dark side look like?" asked Nigel. "Like me somewhat," said Will, "She had the same face as I do, only with pitch black eyes." "Did she say anything?" asked Matt, "Not really," said Will, "The whole thing was more like seeing me, then seeing the exact opposite of everything I am. I'm not making much sense, am I?"

"No you're not," said Matt, "But what's important is that you're back." He bent down and kissed her, then she kissed him back, "If this is the welcome I can expect," said Will, "I ought to go away more often. So, what did I miss while I was out?" "Oh nothing much," said Nigel in a sarcastic tone, "Just that Naruto, Luffy and their respective teams fought and were nearly killed by Pai-Mey. They managed to tie her up, so now Jaden's Dueling Nerissa to keep her from killing you and destroying Candracar."

"Jaden's Dueling Nerissa?" said Will, "And I'm missing it? Come on!" With that, Will grabbed the mirror, ran back inside form the balcony and headed for the stairs to outside The Temple.

To be continued. Next chapter the Duel between Jaden and Nerissa heats up, leading to where Jaden reveals his secret weapon. See you next time!


	14. Chapter 14: The Duel pt2

Last time Jaden challenged Nerissa to a Duel; he wagering his Osiris Pendant, she wagering The Heart of Candracar. The Duel began, and at first Jaden seemed to have the advantage. Then Nerissa revealed her strategy. Now Jaden is on the ropes. Meanwhile Will finally snapped out of her trance. After telling of her experience to Matt, Nigel and Taranee, then having learned of what transpired while she was out of it, Will headed outside for the Duel. On with the show!

Chapter 14: The Duel part 2

The Duel statistics so far:

Jaden's Life Points: 2600

Nerissa's Life Points: 1900

Jaden currently has no monsters on the field and one facedown Spell or Trap card. Meanwhile Nerissa has one monster on the field:

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attribute: Darkness

Type: Beast/Effect

Level: 4

Attack: 3000

Defense: 100

She also has three face up continuous Trap cards in play, they are:

Gift of Resurrection, Curse of Resurrection and Resurrection Upheaval.

"That's a sweet combination you have," said Jaden, "I said it before and I'll say it again, you'd be a great Duelist if you weren't always trying to take over the world." "That may be true," said Nerissa, "But I've got better things to do than play a silly children's game all the time. Now take your turn so I can destroy you already."

"Well since you put it that way," said Jaden as he drew a card form his deck, "My move!" _I'd better play it safe for now,_ thought Jaden, _until I can figure out how to get around her Traps._ "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense mode!" exclaimed Jaden as he placed his card on his Duel Disk. The image of his monster appeared on the field in a defensive position.

Elemental Hero Clayman

Attribute: Earth

Type: Warrior

Level: 4

Attack: 800

Defense: 2000

"That's all for now," said Jaden, "Your turn!" "I can't believe that's all he can do now," said Cornelia, "I mean, he's got to have a Spell or a Trap card that he can use." "Don't underestimate Jaden," said Martin, "From what I've heard about him, he's been in more tight spots than you girls have." "That's a bold statement," said Irma.

Just then Will came running out from The Temple, shortly followed by Matt, Taranee and Nigel. "Sorry I'm late," said Will as she stopped on the sidelines of the battle area, "I've been busy 'facing myself.'"

"Ah there you are Will!" exclaimed Nerissa, "You're just in time to watch me destroy your beloved cousin!" "You're not destroying anyone Nerissa!" exclaimed Will, "Jaden's gonna wipe the floor with you!" "Glad you're feeling better cousin," said Jaden.

"Oh cut the crap already!" exclaimed Pai-Mey, "Stop fooling around and kill her!" "All in good time Pai-Mey," said Nerissa, "All in good time. Will shall die, and her pathetic friends sacrificed to The God Hand, but first, I intend to win a lovely new pendant."

"That doesn't make much sense," said Taranee, "Why sacrifice only four of us? Why kill only Will?" "You'll know why after you've been branded for sacrifice," said Pai-Mey, "And then devoured by demons." "If you don't mind," said Nerissa as she drew her card, "It's my turn. Samiel! Destroy Jaden's Clayman now!"

Nerissa's monster charged across the field and destroyed Clayman with one slash of its claws. "Good thing I had Clayman in defense mode," said Jaden, "My Life Points are safe." "Not likely," said Nerissa, "Did you forget the effects of Curse of Resurrection and Resurrection Upheaval? Every time my monster sends one of yours to the Graveyard, it gains 500 attack points, and you lose 1000 Life Points.

"Oh man," said Jaden as his Life Points decreased, "I forgot."

Jaden's Life Points: 1600

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attack: 3500

"This is just nuts," said Irma, "Nerissa's monster just keeps getting stronger." "And now Jaden has fewer Life Points than she does," said Caleb, "This may be over before too long." "Don't count Jaden out yet," said Will, "He maybe in trouble, but he always pulls through when he's on the ropes." "He can win," said Naruto, "I can tell that Jaden has what it takes to beat Nerissa, believe it!"

"I'm not finished yet Nerissa," said Jaden, "Because I believe in something that you'll never have." "Oh," said Nerissa, "What's that?" "I'll tell you," said Jaden, "You may have The Heart of Candracar, but I've got The Heart of the Cards on my side, and it's something you can't just possesses."

"Why not?" asked Nerissa, "Why can't I have this Heart of the Cards?" "Because The Heart of the Cards isn't a physical object like the crystal," said Will, "It's the spirit of the game; it's having faith in your skills and your self. Most of all, it's having faith in your friends. You might have a better chance of understanding it if you had friends instead of murdering and/or brainwashing them."

"Well, I, um," said Nerissa, not really sure of what to say next, "Well, f#ck you! What's done is done! Now draw your next pathetic card so we can continue this stupid game of yours!"

"My deck has no pathetic cards," said Jaden as he drew his card, "My cards are like friends to me, you got to treat them with respect and kindness." "And Duel Monsters isn't stupid you ugly old hag!" exclaimed Martin. "I'll deal with you later, poindexter," said Nerissa, "Now take your turn already!" she yelled at Jaden.

"For crying out loud," said Jaden, "You're blow a gasket or something, you need to relax, take a chill pill. Anyway, my move! First, I play the Spell card: The Warrior Returning Alive!" The image of Jaden's card appeared on the field, "With this, I can take one Warrior-type monster card from my graveyard and place it in my hand."

A card popped out of Jaden's Graveyard compartment and he placed it in his hand. "Now that Elemental Hero Avian in back in my hand" said Jaden, "I can use another Polymerization card to fuse Avian with the cards Elemental Hero Bubbleman and Elemental Hero Sparkman that are in my hand to form an awesome monster. Say hello to Elemental Hero Tempest!"

The image of Jaden's monster, a tall figure in green and blue with white wings, appeared on the field.

Elemental Hero Tempest

Attribute: Wind

Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect

Level: 8

Attack: 2800

Defense: 2800

"Cool monster," said Cornelia, "But it's still weaker than Nerissa's." "I don't think Jaden's done yet," said Matt.

"Next up," said Jaden, "I'll play the Field Spell: Skyscraper!" He then inserted his card into the Field cardholder. Immediately the field was filled with the holograms of several tall buildings that seemed to rise out of the ground. "So you've changed the appearance of the field," said Nerissa, "What good will that do you?"

"It does me plenty of good," said Jaden, "Skyscraper increases the attack points of every monster on my side of the field with the words Elemental Hero in its name. Now the attack points Elemental Hero Tempest go up by 1000!"

Elemental Hero Tempest

Attack: 3800

"Alright Tempest!" exclaimed Jaden, "Destroy Nerissa's Hound of Resurrection!" With that Elemental Hero Tempest flew across the field and destroyed Nerissa's monster with one blow.

Nerissa's Life Points: 1600

"We're even now," said Jaden, "I'll throw down a facedown and end my turn." "We may be even now," said Nerissa as the image of another facedown card appeared in front to Jaden, "But it won't last for long," she discarded one card from her hand, "Have you forgotten the effect of my Hound, all I have to do to bring it back from the Graveyard is to send one card from my hand to the Graveyard, and thanks to my Gift of Resurrection, my pet gains 500 attack points!" With that, Nerissa's monster reappeared on the field.

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attack: 4000

"Oh crap!" exclaimed Nigel, "It keeps getting stronger." "And it'll be even stronger when it destroys Jaden's monster," said Irma, "Hey, you know what, I think I'm getting the hang of this game." "I can introduce you to some of my Dueling friends back home my little pork chop," said Martin. "If you call me one more of your retarded pet names," spat Irma, "I'll carve my name into your ass with an ice pick!"

"Moving on," said Nerissa as she drew her card, "Samiel! Destroy Tempest!" Nerissa's monster charged across the field and slashed at Elemental Hero Tempest. Yet it wasn't destroyed. "Impossible!" exclaimed Nerissa, "My monster is stronger than yours, and it should have been destroyed!"

"It should have," said Jaden as he removed his Skyscraper card from the Field card holder, with that the holograms of the buildings disappeared back into the ground, "But that was before I activated Tempest's special effect: By sending one card from my side of the field to the Graveyard, Tempest can't be destroyed as a result of battle. Of course by discarding Skyscraper, Tempest's attack goes back to normal, and I still lose Life Points, but a good try."

Jaden's Life Points: 1400

Elemental Hero Tempest

Attack: 2800

"Impressive," said Nerissa, "You're a lot stronger than I thought you to be. But no matter, this ends now." She then placed a card from her hand into a Spell/Trap slot on her Duel Disk and activated the card, "Behold, my Do Over Spell card! With this I can have a monster on my side of the field attack twice in the same turn." The image of Nerissa's card appeared on the field, "All I have to do is skip my next Draw Phase, but I won't need a next Draw Phase, for I can wipe out your life points right now"!

"She's right," said Taranee, "With her monster at 4000 attack points, and Jaden's at 2800, he'll be down to 200 Life Points." "And with that Curse of Resurrection Trap," said Sakura, "He'll lose another 1000 Life Points, he'll be at –800." "I can't watch!" exclaimed Hay Lin as she buried her face in Rock Lee's arms.

"Now my beast!" exclaimed Nerissa, "Destroy Jaden's pathetic hero and win me that Pendent!" With that Nerissa's monster charged at Tempest. "I don't think so!" exclaimed Jaden as she pushed the activation button on his Duel Disk, "Activate facedown: Flute of Summoning Kuribo!"

One of Jaden's facedown cards flipped up, disappeared, and was replaced by Winged Kuribo, who took Samiel's attack and was destroyed, but Jaden's Life Points stayed the same. "What just happened here?" asked Luffy, "I thought Jaden was about to lose the Duel."

"I'll tell you what happened," said Jaden, "I played Flute of Summoning Kuribo, which of course, summons a Kuribo. My friend Winged Kuribo took the attack of your monster, and when Winged Kuribo is destroyed as a result of battle, all damage to my Life Points is reduced to 0." Just then the transparent image of Winged Kuribo appeared above Jaden's shoulder. "Thanks little buddy," said Jaden to Winged Kuribo, "I owe you one." "Oh that disgusting little fuzz ball!" exclaimed Nerissa; "I ought to rip it to shreds!"

"Hey now," said Jaden, "This isn't that much of a big deal." "This is a big deal!" raged Nerissa, "It's a very big deal!" She panted for breath for a few seconds before regaining her composure, "Sorry for that little outburst. You were lucky that time, but your luck won't last forever. On my next turn I'll destroy you and take your Pendant as my own. Face it; you don't have anything in your hand our your deck that can stop my Hound of Resurrection. I can only imagine the level of fear and desperation you're feeling right now."

"Actually," said Jaden with a huge smile on his face, "I'm having a blast! This is my kind of Duel; the pressure, the rush of adrenaline, the all-or-nothing stakes, it really gets your blood pumping." "You are a very strange person," said Nerissa. "I get that a lot," said Jaden."

"That's my cousin Jaden for you," said Will, "Even when he's backed against the wall with little or no hope, he always has a smile on his face." "But Nerissa is right on one thing," said Cornelia, "Jaden doesn't have anything that can defeat her combination. I doubt there's any card in the whole game that can stop her." "That my not be true," said Martin, "There are certain cards that can defeat what Nerissa has, but I doubt Jaden has one of them."

_Nerissa does have a point somewhat,_ thought Jaden, _I don't have anything right now that can stop her monster. All I've got in my hand is Card of Sanctity, and I've got De-Fusion on the field facedown. This next draw could make or break this Duel. Come on Heart of the Cards;_ he drew, _show me the love!_ He looked at the card he drew, _Sweet! _He thought.

"Alright Nerissa," said Jaden, "Time to turn the tables. I'll start off by playing this, Card of Sanctity! Now we each draw until there are six cards in our hands." They both did so. "Now," said Jaden, "I'll activate my facedown Spell card De-Fusion. This splits my Tempest back into Elemental Heroes Avian, Bubbleman and Sparkman."

The image of Tempest faded and was replaced by the holograms of his three monsters. "What is he doing?" asked Saske, "Now he has three weaker monsters for that abomination to destroy. Is he trying to lose on purpose or something?" "I can only think of one reason why Jaden would do such a thing," said Martin, "But it's not possible. He can't have one of them."

"I think the rush of adrenaline had confounded your brain," said Nerissa, "No matter how many monsters you have on the field, you can't destroy my beast. Face it, you've lost!" "It ain't over until the last card is thrown down!" exclaimed Jaden, "Next up, I'll sacrifice my three Elemental Heroes in order to summon a monster stronger than Exodia!"

"You lie!" shouted Nerissa, "Nothing's more powerful than Exodia!" "What are they talking about?" asked Nami. "They're talking about Exodia the Forbidden One," said Cornelia, "It's a five monster card combination. If you can assemble all five pieces of Exodia in your hand, you automatically win the Duel. It's an extremely rare and dangerous combination to achieve, but it's been done."

"Yugi Moto made history by being the first to assemble Exodia," said Martin, "But there are three cards that are immune to the instant victory effect of Exodia, and Yugi has all three of them. Is it possible that Jaden has one of them?" "What is them?" asked Irma. "I think we're about to find out," said Will.

"Now," said Jaden as the images of his three monsters faded, "I sacrifice Avian, Bubbleman and Sparkman, to summon Slifer The Sky Dragon!" The very air began to crackle with energy as Jaden placed his card on the monster card area of his Duel Disk. The battle area was cast into a sudden shadow as a huge hologram began to appear above the two Duelists.

The image stabilized into a gigantic red serpentine dragon, Will guessed that its boy was well over 500 feet long. The creature had glowing yellow eyes and two mouths filled with razor sharp teeth. The dragon let out a deafening roar from its lower mouth as it finished solidifying.

Slifer The Sky Dragon

Attribute: Light

Type: Devine-Beast

Level: 10

Attack: 5000

Defense: 5000

"This is incredible," said an awed Cornelia to an equally awed Will, "Your cousin has one of the three Egyptian God cards." "How did he get it?" asked Martin, "It's not like someone's just giving away Egyptian God cards." "Check out those attack points," said Naruto, "It's more than a match for Nerissa's monster, believe it!"

"How is this possible?" asked Nerissa, "How can any card in the game be that strong without a Spell or Trap to boost it?" "That's Slifer's special effect," said Jaden, "His attack power depends on how many cards are in my hand, 1000 attack points per card. I have five cards in my hand, so that's five thousand points, assuming my math is correct. Okay Slifer, destroy Nerissa's Hound of Resurrection!"

A white beam of energy shot from Slifer's mouth and impacted on Nerissa's monster, destroying it instantly. Nerissa winced from the force of the attack as her Life Points decreased.

Nerissa's Life Points: 600

"So what?" asked Nerissa as she took a card from her hand and placed it in the Graveyard, "I'll just Discard and bring back my Hound of Resurrection again." Once again the image of her monster reappeared on the field.

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attack: 4500

"You've done it now," said Jaden, "For whenever my opponent summons a monster while I have Slifer on my side of the field, his second special effect activates; his second mouth." With that, Slifer's lower mouth closed and it's upper mouth opened. This time a yellow beam of energy shot out and struck Nerissa's monster. Yet when the energy beam dissipated, her monster still stood.

"Some special effect," sneered Nerissa, "My Hound still stands." "I know it does," said Jaden, "But check out its attack points, you'll see a difference."

Samiel: The Hound of Resurrection

Attack: 2500

"What happened?" asked a shocked Nerissa, "How did my beast's power decrease?" "That is Slifer's second special effect," said Jaden, "If my opponent summons a monster who's attack points are less than 2000, it's instantly destroyed. But if said monster's attack points are 2000 or greater, it survives, but with 2000 less attack points. And now I'm gonna win this duel."

"How?" asked Nerissa, "You used up your creature's attack, it can't attack until your next turn." "You're wrong," said Jaden as he placed a card into a Spell/Trap slot and activated it, "I play the Spell card Copycat! Of course by using a card from my hand, Slifer's attack points decrease, but it's worth it."

Slifer The Sky Dragon

Attack: 4000

"By playing Copycat," said Jaden, "I can copy the effect of one Spell or Trap card you used in a previous turn, and I chose your Do Over card!" "No!" exclaimed Nerissa, "That means you can attack again!" "Exactly!" exclaimed Jaden.

"Pai-Mey!" shouted Nerissa, "Help me! Kill him!" "I can't do anything while I'm tied up!" shouted Pai-Mey, "And even if I weren't, I wouldn't help you. You brought this on yourself!" "This isn't happening!" cried Nerissa, "There must be something I can do to stop this!"

"I can safely say what I'm about to say for everyone you've ever hurt, Nerissa," said Will, "You lose!" "No!" shouted Nerissa, "This cannot be!" "Slifer The Sky Dragon!" exclaimed Jaden, "Obliterate!" Once again the white energy beam shot from Slifer's first mouth and destroyed Nerissa's monster for the last time.

Nerissa's Life Points: 0

"That's game!" exclaimed Jaden.

The end of chapter 14. Next chapter, Nerissa finally faces the consequences of her actions. See you next time!


	15. Chapter 15: In Truth Power

Last time Will arrived outside so she could watch Jaden Duel Nerissa. Things weren't looking good for Jaden as Nerissa's monster kept getting stronger and stronger. However, one mustn't underestimate Jaden Yuki, as he played the Egyptian God card: Slifer The Sky Dragon, allowing him to win the Duel. On with the show!

Chapter 15: In Truth: Power

"I can safely say what I'm about to say for everyone you've ever hurt Nerissa," said Will, "You lose!" "No!" shouted Nerissa, "This cannot be!" "Slifer The Sky Dragon!" exclaimed Jaden, "Obliterate!" Once again the white energy beam shot from Slifer's first mouth and destroyed Nerissa's monster for the last time.

Nerissa's Life Points: 0

"That's game!" exclaimed Jaden. Nerissa fell to her knees as the image of Slifer faded, signifying the end of the Duel. "This wasn't how it was to be," said Nerissa to out loud, "I was supposed to win." "Hey now," said Jaden, "Don't be all down in the dumps, you played a great Duel, and your cards are really awesome."

"Don't try to talk to her Jaden," said Will as she stood beside her cousin, "She may hear you, but she won't listen. All right Nerissa, you made a bet with Jaden, now it's time you upheld your end of it. You lost, so hand over The Heart of Candracar."

"I think not," said Nerissa as she glared at both Will and Jaden, "The crystal is mine." In her hand she grasped The Heart of Candracar, "The Oracle was a fool to take it away from me in the first place. It is mine, now and forever!"

"You got to me sh$tt$ng me!" exclaimed Shikamaru, "All that and she still won't hand over the crystal." "Looks like we're going to have to fight for it after all," said Zolo as he readied his swords. "I'm with you man," said Nigel as he cracked his knuckles. "Me to," said Caleb, "I've been wanting to beat the crap out of her for a long time."

"Come and take it if you dare," said Nerissa, "I'll die before surrendering what is mine!" Before anyone could move a bright golden light filled the area, a light that seemed to be coming from above the battle area. Will and the others had to cover their eyes at first, but they quickly adapted to the golden brightness. Pai-Mey and Nerissa weren't so lucky; the light seemed to be causing them great pain.

"It burns!" exclaimed Pai-Mey as she flailed about with her limbs all tied up, "Turn it off, it burns!" "Stop it!" shouted Nerissa, "I can't stand the light!" "What is this?" asked Matt. "I don't know," answered Will, "But whatever it is, it's something good."

"Nerissa!" boomed a strong and deep voice that seemed to be coming from the source of the light, "you have gambled in a Shadow Game and lost, a Shadow Game with predetermined terms, and the terms of a Shadow Game are absolute! So it is written, so shall it be done!" Suddenly the crystal shot out from Nerissa's grasp. She tried to grab it, but the light made it impossible for her to see it. The crystal flew over the battle area and landed in Will's hands.

"Will Vandom," said the voice in a much gentler tone, "You were chosen to be Keeper of the Heart because you possesses several distinct qualities: courage; friendship; loyalty to your friends and loved ones; wisdom; honor and much more. You share these qualities with your friends, but most of all, each of you Guardians share one common factor; you each carry within your hearts a divine spark. It is this divine spark that defines you as human beings."

"Who are you?" asked Jaden, "I feel as if I've heard your voice before." "In a way," said the voice, "you did. For several years I had the honor and privilege of sharing the body of a most unique individual, a young boy who helped me regained something I had lost. That boy is Yugi Moto, and I believe you've had the privilege of meeting him before, the day you qualified to join Duel Academe."

"Of course," said Jaden, a look of clarity on his face, "That day I passed the test to start school, I was running late for the entrance Duel, and I bumped into someone, and he gave me a card, he gave me Winged Kuribo. I can't believe I didn't figure it out before, but that guy was Yugi Moto!"

"That still didn't answer his question," said Will, "Who are you?" Out from the light emerged a man with long spiky blond hair with black and red highlights. He was dressed in a style that was popular in ancient Egypt. "I," said the man, "Am Atem. But I've also gone by the name Yami, YiGiOh, and The Pharaoh. Five thousand years ago I was King of Egypt, and for five thousand years I was the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. It was Yugi Moto who showed me the values of friendship and loyalty. He set me free and helped me regain what I had lost; my memories."

"How can I thank you for helping me?" asked Will. "There is no need for thanks," said Atem, "You would have retrieved The Heart on your own, one way or another. Now I must return to the spirit world, until we meet again, peace and happiness be with you all." With that Atem and the golden light faded and was gone.

"Am I the only one who had no idea what just happened here?" asked Chouji. "You're not alone," said Naruto, "Believe it." "Well one thing's for certain," said Sakura, "Will got The Heart of Candracar back." "You can say that again," said Luffy.

"What about her?" asked Garra as he pointed at Nerissa who had collapsed to the ground. "I know just what to do about her," said Will as she walked over to Nerissa. "If you're going to kill me," said Nerissa, "You'll never get a better chance, because I'll never stop trying to get the crystal back. It was mine before, and it shall be mine again."

"The only thing you're getting Nerissa," said Will as she unclasped the mirror, which she had in her hand the whole time, "Is a good dose of the truth." She opened the mirror and showed it to Nerissa. For some reason Nerissa didn't move or even try to look away. She gazed into the mirror for several minutes before letting out a hair-raising scream. Then she went silent, her eyes glazing over.

"What happened?" asked Caleb as he and the others rushed over to Will. "The same thing that happened to me," said Will, "Nerissa saw every negative action she ever took. To make a long story short, she cam face to face with her inner darkness. My guess is that she couldn't handle what she saw." For indeed Nerissa was in a catatonic state.

"Well that just plain sucks," said Pai-Mey, "You really can't get good help these days." "Before we drag your sorry ass back to Konohamaru so you can finish your life sentence," said Saske, "I've got one thing I want to ask you; why kill only Will and sacrifice only the others?"

"Well I might as well tell you girls why," said Pai-Mey, "Will is going to die and her friends are going to be sacrificed, one way or another. Will here is no longer a virgin." There were several seconds of silence before the air erupted with several exclamations of 'What!' 'No way!" and one shout of 'Get the f#ck out!'

"Is she joking or something?" Taranee asked Will, "Did you really do it?" "Yes," answered Will who was blushing two shades red, "But I want to know how you knew, Pai-Mey. Have you been spying on me?" "It was my master who told me," said Pai-Mey, "The demon lord Femto hinted as to why you weren't to be sacrificed, and I figured that it was due to you being deflowered."

"Well?" asked Cornelia eagerly. "Well what?" asked Will. "Aren't you going to tell your friends who you did it with and when?" asked Hay Lin eagerly. "Who do you think I did it with?" asked Will. With that, all eyes turned towards Matt who was blushing four shades red. "Way to go Matt!" exclaimed Nigel, "I always knew you were a player!"

"How was it?" asked Martin, "And be specific, I need all the advice I can get." Matt looked towards Will, who gave him a look that said 'well go on.' "It was good," said Matt, "More than good, it was, as they say in 'Newspeak,' 'Double Plus Good.'" "Did you use protection?" asked a concerned Taranee. "Of course we used protection," said Will, "I'm young, not stupid!" "Well this has been lovely talking about Will's sex life," said Pai-Mey, "But I really must be going now."

"The only place you're going," said Naruto "Is an 8 X 10 cell in a maximum security prison, where you'll stay until you rot." "You are so naive," said Pai-Mey just before she vanished in a puff of smoke. "What the hell!" exclaimed Sakura. "A Shadow Clone!" exclaimed Saske, "She must have switched placed when everyone was distracted by that light!"

"Brilliant deduction, Saske Uchiha," said the real Pai-Mey. She was standing several yards away were a red vortex was forming, one similar yet smaller than the one that sucked her down to hell back on Metamore. "When Nerissa wakes up," she shouted over the roar of the vortex, "Tell her that I'm sorry our partnership didn't work out. Until our next meeting Guardians!" With that, Pai-Mey stepped into the vortex, which vanished seconds later.

"Damn!" exclaimed Luffy, "She got away again." "She'll be back," said Naruto, "People like her can't stop making trouble in the universe, we'll see her again, believe it." "And when we do see Pai-Mey Matoya again," said Will, "We'll stop her once and for all." "What about Nerissa?" asked Matt. Will pondered this for a minute before answering, "I know just what to do about Nerissa."

The end of chapter 15. Next chapter the fate of Nerissa is revealed. See you next time!


	16. Chapter 16: A Second Chance

Last time Nerissa refused to give up The Heart of Candracar, even after she lost the Duel to Jaden. It took the appearance of Atem, the former spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, to retrieve the crystal from Nerissa and return it to Will. She then showed Nerissa the mirror, forcing Nerissa to face the truth of her actions. Meanwhile Pai-Mey revealed the truth as to why Will was to be killed, not sacrificed. Just when it seemed the whole mess was over Pai-Mey got away. On with the show!

Chapter 16: A Second Chance

"You sure you think this is a good idea?" asked Irma. "I'm sure," said Will, "It's either that, or kill her again." Will and her friends stood along the wall of one of the many rooms of The Temple. On a large table in the middle of the room lay the unconscious from of Nerissa. Standing over her was The Oracle. He was holding a large purple crystal over her head, a bright purpled beam of light shining down on her face. "The process should take no more than an hour," said The Oracle, "I'll inform you when it is finished."

"If this works," said Will as she and her fellow Guardians left the room, "Then we'll never have to worry about Nerissa again." "And if it doesn't," said Cornelia as the entered the main room of The Temple, "Then we'll just kill her. Then she'll be back in the world of The God Hand, and they'll just send her back to mess with us again." "Then this whole fiasco is going to repeat itself," said Irma. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Taranee.

"Hey Will," said Naruto, "I think we've done all that we can right now," he indicated his fellow Shinobi, "So I think we're gonna head back home." "Same here," said Luffy, "There's still so much of The Grand Line to go through." "You might want to hang around for a bit longer," said Will, "I feel that you should see what's going to happen next."

Meanwhile Martin was hounding Jaden for information. "You've got to tell me," said Martin, "How did you convince Yugi Moto to let you have one of his Egyptian God cards?" "I'm curious about that myself," said Cornelia, "Just how did you come about possessing Slifer The Sky Dragon anyway?" "It's a funny story actually," said Jaden, "Just before I left school to visit Will in Heatherfield, I got this letter. There was no return address on it, and when I opened it, there it was, Slifer The Sky Dragon. That and a note with the words 'use it well,' that's all, that and a P.O. box address to mail it back to."

"I'll bet it was from Yugi," said Martin, "He's the only one who could lend one of the Egyptian God cards." "But how did Yugi know he'd need it?" asked Nigel, "That's what I want to know." "Well," said Jaden, "If I ever see Yugi again I'll ask him."

About an hour later Hay Lin returned from Heatherfield with her grandmother Yan Lin. Will informed Yan Lin on what she planned with Nerissa. Yan Lin was a little more than concerned about the plan, but agreed to do her part, just as The Oracle entered the room, announcing that he was finished with Nerissa.

Five minutes later The Oracle and Yan Lin stood over Nerissa, while Will and the others watched from a distance. "I hope this works," said Matt, "For all our sakes." "If she tries anything," said Naruto, "I'll take care of her before she does it." "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Will, "We're doing this to give Nerissa another chance at life."

Just then Nerissa began to come around. "Nerissa," said The Oracle, "Can you hear me?" "Yes," whispered Nerissa, "I hear you, Oracle, but why am I here in Candracar? I thought I was on planet Earth." "Don't try to open your eyes yet," said The Oracle, "You've been through a difficult period. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was with Kadma, Halinor and Cassidy," said Nerissa "We were at the opening of Yan Lin's restaurant, The Silver Dragon." "I remember that day," said Yan Lin, "You looked so happy back then." "Yan Lin?" asked Nerissa, "Is that you?" "Yes," said Yan Lin, "Try to relax, you've been through a rough time." "You sound different," said Nerissa as she slowly opened her eyes, "What happened? And why is everything looking all blurry?"

"Your eyes need time to adjust," said The Oracle, "They haven't been used in a long time." "How long haven't I used my eyes?" asked Nerissa in a concerned tone. "This is going to be hard to accept," said Yan Lin, "But you've been in an enchanted sleep for 40 years, give or take a few weeks."

"That can be," said Nerissa, "The last thing I remember is all of us being in Heatherfield. We weren't on any mission that would have put me in an enchanted sleep." "I'm not surprised you're acting this way," said The Oracle, "The loss of memories is a side effect of the spell used on you."

"Well assuming this is really happening," said Nerissa, "And this isn't all just some nightmare from too many fried dumplings, what happened?" "About two days after The Silver Dragon opened," said Yan Lin, "We were called to stop a demon from invading and destroying the dreams of children. We had to fight this demon in our dreams. It was a long and exhausting battle; we won, but not without paying a terrible price: you never woke up, and Cassidy was killed."

"No way," said Nerissa, denial filled her voice, "Cassidy can't be dead, she can't!" "I'm sorry Nerissa," said Yan Lin, "But it's true." Just then Nerissa's eyes came into focus. "Oh my god!" she said as she finally saw Yan Lin clearly, "You are old! Then that means I'm old as well. Oh god! I'm in my sixties! And Cassidy is dead! Oh God!" Like a dam breaking from tremendous pressure, tears began to flow from Nerissa's eyes

"It's alright," said Yan Lin as she embraced Nerissa "You're awake now, that's all that matters now." Nerissa continued to cry for several minutes. "It's so strange," whispered Will, "To see Nerissa like this, I guess she's human with a soul after all."

"What about Kadma and Halinor?" asked Nerissa when she finished crying, "What happened to them?" "They're still alive," said Yan Lin, "I can take you to see them if you wish." "Can I see a mirror please?" asked Nerissa. Yan Lin handed her a small hand mirror, not the mirror, but a mirror. "It's a side effect of the spell you were under," said Yan Lin as Nerissa viewed her reflection, "Your body aged only one year for every two years that passed."

"I suppose it could be worse," said Nerissa, "But what am I going to do? Everything I know on Earth is gone. I had no family even before I was put to sleep. What's going to happen to me?" "You do have a family," said Yan Lin, "Myself, Kadma and Halinor. It would be no trouble to bring them here if you like."

"And you are more than welcome to stay in Candracar," said The Oracle, "The Temple can be your home for as long as you wish." "Thank you Oracle," said Nerissa, "I think I shall stay here, for a while. Forgive me if I sound rude, but I'm starving." "I'm not surprised," said Yan Lin, "Seeing that you haven't eaten anything for about 40 years. I'll make you a batch of your favorite fried dumplings."

Yan Lin then helped Nerissa to her feet, and as they were walking out of the room, Nerissa saw Will. "Oh, this is Wilma Vandom," said Yan Lin, "But we all call her Will. She's the new Keeper of The Heart of Candracar." "Is she now," said Nerissa as her eyes locked in on The Heart of Candracar. Irma, Taranee, Hay Lin, Cornelia, Caleb, Matt, Nigel and everyone else tensed. Saske and Sakura had their hands on the handles of their kuni knives. Naruto already had one out, his hand gripping the handle of his blade, ready to strike.

"I hope you're doing a better job than I did," said Nerissa to Will. Everyone relaxed at this statement. "I do what I can," said Will, "From what I heard you did a pretty good job yourself." "I had my moments," said Nerissa, "Take good care of that crystal," she pointed at The Heart of Candracar; "It helped me out of more than a few tight spots."

"That was some whammy The Oracle put on Nerissa," said Matt as Yan Lin helped Nerissa out of the room. "How long will the memory block last?" asked Cornelia. "As long as it has to," said The Oracle, "Until Nerissa learns to accept the truth of her actions, subconsciously that is. For now she sees with eyes unclouded by hate." "Are you absolutely sure it's a good idea to let her walk around freely?" asked Caleb, "After all that she did to us?" "Sometimes all that is needed to redeem oneself," said Will, "Is a second chance. It's time Nerissa had hers."

"Well spoken Wilma Vandom," said The Stranger, for he was standing right behind Will and the others. "Do you have to sneak up on us like that?" asked Irma, "You nearly scared ten years off my life!" "Forgive me Irma Lair," said Allen Shockley, "As I said earlier, this has been a challenge for you Will, a challenge you just completed. By willing to give up the crystal for someone you loved; by trusting your friends and family to help you; and by showing compassion to your enemy, you've proven yourself most worthy as Keeper of The Heart of Candracar, that and much more."

"A Shadow Game," said Jaden, "This whole thing has been one big Shadow Game." "Correct Jaden Yuki," said The Stranger, "Your cousin has been playing a Shadow Game; one she won fairly, and won well." "There's more to it," said Will, "I know there is, so don't try to hide it with riddles."

"I assumed you would as this of me," said Allen Shockley, "So there's no harm in informing you. It was foretold that you, Will, would be the next keeper of The Heart of Candracar." "He speaks the truth," said The Oracle, "The day you were born, Will, was a day of great celebration here at The Temple. I was then convinced that you were meant for the crystal. And today I was proved right."

"However," said The Stranger, "The story doesn't end there. The ones who call themselves The God Hand also knew of your destiny, and they sought to prevent it." "Of course," said Jaden, "That day, Will, that day I pulled you out of the way of that speeding car, I'll bet the demons were behind that."

"You are correct Jaden Yuki," said The Stranger, "The one driving that automobile was an acolyte of The God Hand. Had Will died then, it would have been many years before another potential for the crystal would be born. And yet, there's still more."

"I know what you're talking about," said Will, "About a month before my mom and I moved from Fadden Hills, we were shopping at the local mall. I remember because we were parked all the way at the back of the parking lot and we were in a hurry. As my mom and I were getting in the car, there was this explosion from the food court."

"I remember hearing about that on the news," said Taranee, "They said it was a faulty gas grill and a really bad timed spark." "I heard that over 50 people died in the explosion," said Cornelia, "It was terrible." "It would have been fifty-two if my mom and I hadn't been in a hurry," said Will, "So the demons were behind that as well.

"Exactly," said Allen Shockley, "Twice The God Hand tried to destroy you before you became a Guardian and twice they failed. It is my belief, and the belief of my comrades that you Guardians are very close to being ready to strike back at The God Hand. As for you, young Duelist," he looked at Jaden, "your challenge as 'the chosen Duelist' has just begun." "What do you mean by that?" asked Jaden. "You shall understand better when you return to Duel Academy," said Allen Shockley "Oh, and Will, it would be wise for you and your fellow Guardians to keep your eyes open for the Fullmetal Alchemist." With that, he vanished again.

"I really hate it when he does that," said Irma, "It gets on my nerves." "I know how to relax your nerves," said Martin, "My little Pop-Tart." "That does it!" exclaimed Irma, "Somebody get me an ice pick!" "He did it again," said Cornelia as Irma went in search of an ice pick, "The Stranger left us with another riddle; who is this Fullmetal Alchemist he wants us to find?" "I don't know," said Will, "But I'm sure we'll find out before too long."

"So what now?" asked Jaden as Irma chased Martin around The Temple with an ice pick she found. "Pai-Mey won't show herself for a while," said Saske, "My guess is that she'll lay low until she's sure she can operate without us coming to look for her." "And when that happens," said Luffy, "You can count on me and my crew to help stop her once and for all!" "Same here," said Naruto, "Next time that traitor is going down, believe it!"

After several rounds of goodbyes, Will opened two Folds; one for Luffy and his crew to return to The Grand Line, the other for Naruto and his fellow Shinobi to head back to Konohamaru. While the other ninjas went through the Fold home, Hay Lin and Rock Lee were having a last minute together before being separated by time and space. "I couldn't have opened the Sixth and Seventh Gates without you, Miss Hay Lin," said Rock Lee, "I'm both glad and proud of our relation. "You truly are a splendid ninja Rock Lee," said Hay Lin. They kissed, and Rock Lee went through the Fold, which closed up shortly after.

"That was a great Duel cousin," said Will to Jaden. "It was fun," said Jaden, "I only wish Nerissa understood that Dueling isn't just about winning and collecting cards, it's about having fun and meeting new friends." "Well I hope to see more of your Dueling prowess later on," said Cornelia, "I might just get more involved in the game myself."

"I still can't believe that you collect trading cards," said Irma gleefully, "What would the rest of school think?" "They would think I have a hobby," said Cornelia, "And what would the student body of The Sheffield Institute think if they knew about the incident with Andrew Hornby?" "Touché, miss Oh so Blond and Pretty," said Irma, "You keep your mouth shut about that, I'll keep mine shut." "Agreed," said Cornelia.

"I just realized something," said Will, "Taranee never told us about her guilty pleasure." "Might as well tell them," said Nigel, "They won't stop bugging us about it." "Well," said Taranee in a reluctant tone, "Nigel and I haven't done it yet, but let's just say that we both enjoy taking turns being tied up and blindfolded." There was a few seconds of silence before Will said, "alright, that seems normal to me."

As Will made another Fold, this one to take her and her friends back home, she asked Jaden, "What are you going to do with that card you got?" "You mean Slifer The Sky Dragon?" asked Jaden, "Well as soon as we're back home, I'm mailing it back to Yugi, assuming that's whom the return address goes to. I used the card well, and I have no urge to keep it."

"You're a better man than I am," said Martin as he rubbed his backside tenderly, "I would have succumbed to greed and kept it for myself." "She didn't really carve her name into your ass with an ice pick," said Eric as his gaze flickered on Irma for a second, "Did she?" "No," said Martin, "But she did give my rear end a good kicking, that's for sure. But I'm not giving up, she'll come around to me soon enough." "It's your funeral," said Matt.

The end of chapter 16. Next chapter, as school starts again for Will and her friends, we look in on the fate of Pai-Mey. See you next time!


	17. Chapter 17: Moving Forward

Last time, The Oracle used his powers to block the memories of Nerissa so that she doesn't remember going power crazy and turning evil. With Yan Lin's help, Nerissa was given a second chance to make something of her life. Jaden told Will and the others how he received the card that won him his Duel. Meanwhile Naruto, Luffy and their friends went back to their respective worlds. Then Will and her friends went back to Heatherfield. On with the show!

Chapter 17: Moving Forward

August had rolled into September, and with it, the first day back to school. Will and her friends met up at the front gates of that 'sweathouse,' The Sheffield Institute. "So how's Jaden doing?" asked Taranee. "He's more than fine," said Will, "He's all pumped up to be back at Duel Academe."

"I wonder if we'll ever have need of his Dueling skills again?" asked Cornelia, "I have to admit that I enjoyed watching him Duel Nerissa." "Speaking of whom," said Hay Lin, "My grandma told me yesterday that the memory block The Oracle put on Nerissa is holding, she won't be bothering anymore."

"Well that's good news if I ever herd any," said Cornelia. "Grandma told me that Nerissa started playing the flute again," said Hay Lin, "She was a musician before she went all power crazy." "Good for her," said Will as she and her friends headed for the front door of the school, "It's safe to say we can close the book on Nerissa."

"Now all we got to do," said Irma, "Is find Pai-Mey and stop her before she can cause any more chaos." "That," said Taranee, "And find this Fullmetal Alchemist we were told about." "Well putting the Fullmetal Alchemist aside," said Hay Lin, "I've got this funny feeling that whatever hellish dimension Pai-Mey fled to, she's in big trouble."

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask," said Cornelia, "How's it going with you and Matt?" "Yeah," said Irma "Have you two been doing any 'extracurricular activities' lately? Nudge-nudge, grin-grin, wink-wink, say no more!" "Even if Matt and I have been getting our groove on," said Will, "It's our business to do so, and if I find out he's been bragging, I'll skin him alive." With that, the five Guardians entered the building to start another year of torture that is High School.

Meanwhile…

Sweat ran rivers down the forehead of Pai-Mey as she stood in a large chamber. She was sweating not just from the heat, for it was really hot in the nightmare world she arrived in, but also out of fear. Standing before the former ninja from Konohamaru were five individuals: the five demons that made up The God Hand.

On the far right stood the gigantic creature known as Void: He stood at least 50 feet tall, wearing a long black cape. His face was light brown; huge teeth were protruding from his mouth. His head bulged form the pressure of his enormous brain. Next to Void was the small floating form of Ubik: his head was almost the entire form of his blue colored body, his arms and legs atrophied from lack of use, he wore dark sunglasses.

On the far left stood the female demon called Slan: She had very pale skin and long green hair, which flowed past her shoulders. Protruding from her back were large bat-like wings. Pai-Mey couldn't tell if Slan was a Vampire, a Succubus or a mixture of both. Next to Slan was the obese, purple form of Conrad: His hands grasped together as if praying; his eyes always close from the amount of fat on his face; his mouth always open. In the middle was the red skinned demon Femto who once offered to make Pai-Mey his bride not too long ago.

Pai-Mey continued to sweat as The God Hand talked amongst themselves after she informed her masters of what happened with Nerissa and what happened at Candracar. It was the tall brooding Void who spoke first: **"We have listened to what you had to report, Pai-Mey,"** said Void in his deep rumbling voice. "Yes my masters," said Pai-Mey, trying her best not to show any fear in her voice, "And?"

**"And we have just agreed amongst ourselves,"** said the female, Slan, **"That this current generation of Guardians are to be upgraded from 'flies in our ointment,' to 'thorns in our sides.' You should consider yourself lucky that they haven't been elevated to the level of 'pain in the ass,' otherwise you wouldn't be standing here in one piece." "Twice they have interfered in our plans,"** boomed Conrad, **"And twice they have foiled said plans." "Perhaps what is needed is a total evaluation of our plans,"** said the floating Ubik.

"Forgive me for asking," said Pai-Mey, "But what is to become if me?" **"We cannot deny the serious of this matter,"** said Conrad, **"For each plan the Guardians foiled, you were in charge of carrying out said plans." "This time,"** said Slan, **"One of our servants, Nerissa was turned away from the path of chaos, now she walks in the cursed light."**

**"Nerissa was no great loss,"** said Ubik, **"She was unable to control her greed, her lust for power. She won't be missed." "If the chosen Duelist hadn't been involved,"** said Void, **"The situation would have occurred differently. That interloper Allen Shockley and his meddling comrades are to blame."** "He shall be dealt with in time," said Femto as he finally spoke, "But what to do with young Pai-Mey here?"

**"She is not to be punished,"** said Slan, **"Not this time. However Pai-Mey, if you fail one more time, your suffering shall be legendary, even in Hell. Now go before we change our minds." **"As you command," said Pai-Mey as she bowed and left the room, making sure she didn't walk too fast, for to walk too fast would show fear.

Once outside the chamber, and making sure the door was closed, Pai-Mey breathed several sighs of relief. Collecting herself, she went down the many corridors that made up the hellish world of The God Hand. The walls of the corridors Pai-Mey walked down were decorated with the stuff of nightmares, which I won't write about, or maybe I just don't want to.

Upon reaching her personal chambers, Pai-Mey saw that she had a visitor who was waiting for her return. The creature standing before her was dressed in a long red cloak with the hood turned up. Under the hood was a face with feline features and dark purple eyes. Black cat paws grasped a long gray staff, which was carved with demonic symbols. This creature was the upper level demon known as The Dadga Khan.

"What happened with the masters?" asked The Dadga Khan in a raspy voice like sandpaper. "I'm not to be punished yet," said Pai-Mey as she sat down in a chair, "My century of loyal service still carries merit. However, even though the masters didn't say it, I'm on thin ice. One more failure and I'll wish I was never born."

"The Guardians are to blame for your failures," said The Dadga Khan, "Not you." "Perhaps," said Pai-Mey, "But right now I need to think. I need to come up with a way of destroying those disgusting little brats before the masters decide to have me skinned alive, and my flesh served on a silver platter." "I would be more than happy to assist you in your venture," said The Dadga Khan, "You'll find me a much better associate than Nerissa."

"That's a generous offer," said Pai-Mey, "I am in need of a partner who isn't driven by personal greed. Such people are more easily destroyed, or in Nerissa's case, more likely to defect. She was driven by her own agenda, and look what happened to her. You, my dear Dadga Khan might just be what I'm looking for in terms of a partner in chaos. So, any ideas on how to permanently remove the Guardians from existence?" "I believe I do," said The Dadga Khan, "And with it, an idea on how to reduce several realities to total chaos. Tell me Pai-Mey, have you ever heard of an object called The Philosopher's Stone?"

Thus ends Heart of the Cards. However, the journey of Will and her friends is far from over, for they shall once again clash with Pai-Mey Matoya in 'Fullmetal W.I.T.C.H.' coming soon. See you then!

AndrewK9000


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